The Guardian
by wildfire-sky05
Summary: Kenshin losses his sight to the poision of an assassin, leaving him at the mercy of his enemies. With only his friends there to protect him, and Kaoru for mental support, will he be able to survive his struggle for sight...and love? Rating may change, R
1. Chapter One

**The Guardians**

By: Wildfire Sky

_A nice, new Rurouni Kenshin fanfic for all you fans out there!! I'm not going to say a lot right here, because, well, I just want to get started! However, you must do me one great honor...and that is review._

_**Disclaimer**: Here we go...I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, so get off my friggin back._

**The Guardians**

_Chapter One_

* * *

The old man collapsed against the far wall, his entire body shaking in horror at the ghastly sight before him. All around, the mutilated bodies of his bodyguards lay strewn through out the room; some slumped against the walls, some lying on the floor, their unseeing eyes staring up at the ceiling, some draped across the table, mouths still open in shock. 

He gathered his papers closer to him, the sheets vibrating against his thudding chest. He needed to get out of here...escape into the night and hide...but Kami knew what had happened to his would be assassin. The shadow had simply murdered everyone and then disappeared like a wisp of smoke, leaving no trace, not even the sound of footsteps. 

Could he make it to the window maybe? Even if he did it was a three story drop to the paved streets below. Perhaps if he set some sort of signal...get the attention of the police to come and rescue him? No...the police have proved their uselessness on more than one occasion. That left him with only two choices.

Wait here and die...or try the door.

Slowly, nervously, his eyes darting in all directions, he stood, back pressed against the firm wall, reassurance that nothing was sneaking up behind him. The dim room seemed to be filled with moving shadows...images that would plague his mind. Cautiously stepping over the decapitated body of his step son, the old man inched his way to the door, eyes still sweeping the room.

Step. Glance. Step. Glance. Step. Pause. Breath. Step again.

An unending cycle of fear...a prison for his mind. He was nearly there, only a few more feet to go. He reached out a hand, searching for the comforting feel of the cold knob. His hand wrapped around it, the feel warm and slimy. Jerking his hand away, the old man brought it up to his face, grimacing at the sight of thick blood.

Then it moved. Only slightly, but it was enough to draw the old man's attention. His eyes jerked over to the billowing curtains. Weren't the windows closed before? Yes...yes they were, he remembered! The bodyguards had closed them the instant they'd heard the first screams. Closed them and locked them.

Now they were wide open, the curtains thrown back, letting the smooth moon rays. He would have been mesmerized by the beauty of the large, white orb sitting amongst thousands of stars. Maybe on a night when his life wasn't at stake. Maybe on a night when dead bodies seemed to come back to life.

The old man chocked back a cry of horror as one of the corpses, sitting hunched in a dark corner, suddenly sat straight up, his head flopping forward on a limp neck, blood drooling from his slack mouth. Fresh blood still gurgled from his cut throat, spilling over his jacket and onto his lap. Even with the wounds it continued to move, bouncing slightly as if something was trying to pull it up.

Still transfixed by the sight, the old man completely forgot about his previous mission: getting the hell out of there. It wasn't until the body began floating that he realized something was seriously wrong. Something or some _one_ was holding it up...

Letting out a ragged scream, the old man ducked for cover as the corpse was hurled at him, blood and thicker things splattering around him as he fell to his knees, covering his balding head. Sobs racked his frail body at the sound of something hard and wet slapping to the floor beside him. Peeking out from between thin fingers, he found himself staring into the cold dead eyes of his bodyguard.

"Great Kami-sama!" he cried, jerking up and away.

"Oh trust me; he won't help a worthless worm like you."

The old man cringed; slowly letting his eyes drag up. The hooded figure stood before him, one narrow, red eye staring out from underneath his black cloak. The large cape flurried down from his broad shoulders, gathered around his chest like a protective shield, granting him to look of a phantom. Hunched over the man, the figure glared down at him, stepping closer.

"You have something that interests me, sensei...some papers I believe. Hand them over."

The old man backed away, "No! You can not have these! They're for the army and only them!"

The shadow froze, "Don't play around with me. You have no interest in taking those to the army." He chuckled, "I'm not an idiot. A dirty politician like you would only sell these to the highest bidder...that is something I cannot allow."

"What interest is it to you?" the old man snapped, gathering the papers closer to his body, "My business is _my_ business, nothing to do with you, I swear it!"

The shadow hunched closer, shoving his face at the old man. The politician stared back at that one narrow red eye, the rest of his face nothing but a black hole covered in shroud.

"Give me the papers, old one, and perhaps I'll let you live." The shadow's eye narrowed to a slit, "Don't keep me waiting, old man...it won't make this any easier."

The old man shook with fear, swallowing dryly, "I...I can not...and if I must die...then so be it."

The shadow sighed, pulling back, "Kami-sama, I hate it when they do this..."

The old man's scream was cut off, melting into a deep gurgle, his body pitching forward. Blood spilled from his mouth, streaming across the floor as his body spasmed. Kneeling down, the assassin quickly scooped up the papers, flipping through them quickly.

"Good. Everything's here." He bowed slightly at the fresh body, "Rest in peace, brave one. You were the first of many not to beg."

* * *

Kaoru squatted in front of the cooking fire, fanning the flames as she read the newspaper. Her face was tight with worry as she read the article unfolding in front of her aqua eyes. 

_Local Diplomat Murdered!_

_Sixth in a series of vicious, night attacks this month, local diplomat, Hirouni Tomoa, was found murdered inside his office at Internal Affairs in Tokyo this morning by the police. After receiving a missing person's inquiry by the deceased's wife, police immediately investigated. _

_It appears that the bodies of Hirouni-sama and his assignment of bodyguard have been inside his office for over a day, raising no suspicion as seeing that Hirouni-sama was expected to be away on vacation with his wife. Police are still investigating his, and the other's, strange murders._

Kaoru quickly set aside the paper, not wanting to read any further. Six murders in one month? What kind of monster would do such a thing? She shook her head, continuing to fan the flames to the fire, the smell of cooking fish rising to her nostrils.

It was strange. The only time something like this had happened was with Jin-e. Kaoru shivered at the brutal memory. Jin-e had forced Kenshin to become the Battousai...nearly forced him to kill again. Now there was another mad man roaming the streets of Tokyo, killing at will. Would Kenshin once again be forced to confront the assassin?

The sword-master glowered. Like hell he would.

The fanning slowly become more and more furious until the beating was loud and audible. Kaoru glared at the now burning fish, her eyes hard. _If that police chief steps one _foot _inside this dojo demanding the Kenshin go off and fight..._

The fish was on fire, the flames reflecting in Kaoru's eyes. _Just let him try,_ Kaoru promised herself, _Let him try and take Kenshin away...he'll be leaving with a broken arm, _that_ was for certain!_

She barely heard the dojo doors open or the footsteps approaching, nor did she hear the cough of surprise, too intent was she on her deadly thoughts.

"K-Kaoru...dono?"

_And Kenshin would willingly go off and fight!_

"Kaoru-dono? Um...are you..."

_Oooh!! He always goes off and fights, never mind I might be worried about him!!_

"Are you alright, Kaoru-dono? You seem a little..."

The fan now burst into flames.

"O-Oro!! Kaoru-dono! Your fan!"

She absent mindedly threw it away from her. Tears welling up in her eyes. _Oh, Kenshin! Please don't fight again...I couldn't take it if you were hurt...but...if he even** thinks** about leaving again...**nothing** will stop me from making him regret it!!_

"Kaoru!"

Suddenly, her little bubble of space seemed to pop and everything came rushing back. She glanced up fixing on Kenshin's shocked face, his eyes wide, mouth open, hand stretched out. Her eyes narrowed and Kenshin visibly grimaced, dropping his hand.

"Gomen nasai, Kaoru-dono...I..."

Kaoru stood up stiffly, "The fish is done, Kenshin. Help yourself."

Kenshin's violet eyes dropped to the smoldering ashes, "Uh...h-hai...arigato, Kaoru-dono..."

She turned on her heel and stormed off in the training hall, back stiff and arms straight. Kenshin stared after her, confusion clearly written on his face. What had gotten into her? He was almost positive that he'd seen the flames of Hell burning in her eyes when she looked up at him. What had he done wrong this time?

"Oi, busu! I didn't do anything!"

"Get out of my room right now, Yahiko! Go!"

"You can't tell me what to...OW!! Alright I'm going!! You don't have to shove! Fine! Goodbye!"

Kenshin looked up as Yahiko stumbled out from around a corner, sticking his tongue at some unseen person...a person Kenshin was positive he knew and cared for. The young samurai shuffled along, kicking up dirt clods until he spotted Kenshin standing at he dojo entrance, a bucket of tofu in one hand and a sack in the other. He quickly came over, eyes bright with curiosity.

"Hey, Kenshin, whatcha got, huh? Are you cooking dinner, cuz busu burnt ours."

Kenshin smiled down at Yahiko, "I went into market, that I did, to buy some fresh tofu. Demo...I didn't realize Kaoru-dono was cooking." He felt his shoulders slump, "That might be why she's mad at me, that it is..."

Yahiko snorted, "Mad at you? Please! Busu's been acting nuts every since she started reading the newspaper."

"Something happened?"

"I thought you'd know, Kenshin," Yahiko said, eyeing the older man carefully, "I mean, I assumed the police chief would have talked to you by now."

Now Kenshin's interest was peaked. "Iie, he had not. Yahiko, you had best tell me what has happened, that you should."

Yahiko picked up Kaoru's discarded paper, handing to the old warrior, "There was another assassination, Kenshin, this time in Tokyo at the Internal Affairs office. Kaoru's probably scared that you're going to leave again."

Heaving a sigh, Kenshin folded the paper beneath his arm, "I must talk to Kaoru-dono, that I do. Excuse me, Yahiko." He placed the tofu bucket in Yahiko's arms, quickly walking by. The young boy turned, following him with his eyes at Kenshin mounted the steps to the hallway.

"Oi, Kenshin, are you going to cook dinner?"

Kenshin paused, flashing a smile over his shoulder, "Maybe we'll eat at the Akabeko tonight, that we will. We can invite Sanouske when he arrives."

Yahiko snorted, "That baka will only eat everything before we get a chance."

Kenshin never heard Yahiko's sarcastic response, concentrating instead on Kaoru and her pain. _And I think I know what's causing it..._

* * *

He paused outside her room, taking in a shaky breath before announcing his presence. There was a short paused before Kenshin heard the rustling of clothing and the soft padding of footsteps. The shoji door cracked open, Kaoru peering out from the other side. Her hard gaze softened at the sight of Kenshin, a tiny smile gracing her features. She quickly opened the shoji, stepping out to greet him. 

"Yes, Kenshin? Is there something you need?"

Kenshin blinked in confusion. Hadn't...hadn't she been glaring at him only a moment before? He shook his head, dispelling the thought before flashing Kaoru a smile, "Aa, Kaoru-dono, I must talk to you, that I do. May I come in?"

Kaoru slowly nodded, stepping aside to allow Kenshin entrance. The ex-hitiori turned as he entered the room, speaking before Kaoru had a chance to question him.

"Kaoru-dono, I'm not going anywhere, that I'm not." He glanced down, "These assassinations are terrible, yes, however, causing you pain is much worse to me, that it is."

Kaoru closed her eyes, "Kenshin..."

"What I mean by that, Kaoru-dono, is that nothing will happen to me."

The young sword master started, forcing her eyes open. Kenshin stood there, staring at her, his lavender eyes hard, yet passionate. Yes, she could see the inevitability see the worry, and love, flowing through them. They both knew...

"I might have to go...Kaoru-dono." Kenshin looked away again, "With these assassinations coming closer to home, I won't have a choice if it means protecting you. So long as I live, nothing will ever happen to the people I care about, that it won't."

Kaoru slowly turned, raising a shaking hand to the shoji door, pushing it closed. Her hand remained there, eyes closed, tears threatening to spill. Gods, why? Why couldn't he simply refuse? Why could he stay here with everyone?

_With everyone? Who are you kidding? You want him here with **you**, loving you like you love him. But, coming from a man who's very teaching was to protect the weak; you can't ask him to do something like that, can you?_

Kenshin watched Kaoru's shaking form and knew she was crying. It hurt him to see her like this, crying once again because of his selfishness. Wasn't Kyoto enough, you baka?? Don't you think Shishio caused her enough pain and worry?

He slowly approached her, pressing up against her back and gathering him towards his warm body.

Kaoru stiffened at the feel of strong arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her back against his hard, warm form. Slowly she relaxed into his embrace, comforted at the feel of his untamable power, the strength that made him Kenshin. She leaned her head against his chest, smiling slightly as the ex-manslayer rested his chin top her own head.

"Kaoru..." he mumbled into her hair, "Kaoru, you understand right? This is something I must do, that it is. The moment I read the article, I knew that the police chief would be coming to ask for my help again, that I do..."

Kaoru chocked back a sob, "Kenshin...you don't have to go...stay here....onegai..."

Kenshin sighed, his arms tightening, "Kaoru-dono...when he does come...you'll be the first to know my decision, that you will."

"I'd rather be there in the same room."

Kenshin shook his head, "I'm sure that would endanger you even more, that it would. The less you know, the better."

Suddenly Kaoru jerked away, turning to set Kenshin with a hard glare, "I can't believe you, Kenshin! After all we've been through together, you still don't think I can hold my own?"

Kenshin grimaced, "Iie, Kaoru-dono...I know you can. Demo...assassins play a hard game, that they do, some are different...some will kill those who know too much...who might be a threat..."

Kaoru stiffened, "Kenshin, I'm perfectly capable..."

"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin quickly cut her off, "I don't want you to get involved in this, that I don't. When the police chief comes, it would be best if you stayed away, that it would."

"This is _my_ dojo, Kenshin..."

"I realize that, Kaoru-dono, that I do, demo, like I said this man might be dangerous. I don't want to lose you to him."

Kaoru nodded slowly in understanding, "Alright Kenshin, I'll stay out of your way if you want me too. However," she stared directly in his eyes, "If I ever feel that you need me, I'm going to do something. And there's nothing you can say that will change my mind, alright?"

Kenshin smiled and nodded, "Hai." Of course, he had no intention of things ever getting so bad; however, his definition of danger compared to hers had time and again come to odds against each other. It was important that he keep her away, at least until he could assess the situation.

* * *

Hirikio Tusume sat in a dimly lit corner of the Akebeko, slowly sipping sake from a cup, eyes closed as he enjoyed the burning flavor as it slid down his throat. Tusume considered himself a patient, understanding man, not one prone to burst of anger, however, at this time, he found himself drumming his fingers on the table top, struggling to sense the other man's ki. 

Slowly reached for the sake bottle, chancing a glance around the nearly empty restaurant. That bastard still hadn't arrived yet! Tusume was truly beginning to become irritated. He curled his fingers...and hit nothing but air. Tusume blinked in surprise at the empty table before him, and then looked at his hand, eyes wide with shock.

_Where the hell did my sake go??_

"Looking for this?"

Tusume jerked back away from the table, distress evident on his face. The tall shadow crouched in a dark corner, waving the sake bottle temptingly. Tusume stared at him nervously before forcing a smile on his face. He leaned forward, adjusting his gym and smoothing back his black hair.

"You're late, my friend."

The shadow's red eye narrowed, "I run on my own time, Tusume-sama, no one else's. Besides, I've just come back from another assignment..."

"That politician."

"More of an annoyance than anything else." The shadow shifted slightly, "If what you want is as easy as he was, I may just decide to charge you double."

Tusume frowned, "Double? Because the mission's easier?"

The shadow nodded, "Of course! The more fun I have, the less it costs. Knocking off politicians and police officers is petty work; any street thug can do it with timing and patience. I'm usually called in because their extra security that a normal man wouldn't be able to break." The shadow picked up a cup and poured himself a drink. The cup disappeared into the shadow of his covered face, his smack the only evidence that the drink still existed. Setting down the bottle, the shadow gathered his cloak around him tighter.

"So what exactly is your bidding, Tusume-san? Another assassination...or perhaps sabotage?"

Tusume smiled again, "There's someone I want you to permanently put of my way...a rather big nuisance that even _you_ might have trouble with."

The shadow snorted, "I seriously doubt it. Not even the Battousai is a challenge for me."

Tusume's grin only broadened. The shadow blinked, his red eye widening slightly. He finally moved from the corner, barely coming into the light as he studied the other man's face. They stared at each other for a moment before the shadow pulled back, crouching back into the dark. For a moment he was silent, unmoving, dissolving in to the black until only his eye could be seen.

"You're joking." The shadow finally mumbled, "You have to be joking."

Tusume shrugged, "I do few things and joking is one of them. You're correct in your assumptions, of course. And if you're not feeling up to the job, I'll find someone else. Battousai _is_ an admiral opponent."

"He's more than just an opponent, Tusume-san...he's one of the best fighters in Japan." The shadow's red eye locked with Tusume's, "However, he's exactly the type of challenge I've been searching for. At last, I will finally be able to fight him...a legend of the sword."

"So you'll take the job?"

The assassin nodded, "I'll even do it for no charge. Such an opportunity only comes once...I will make it a good one." The shadow chuckled, "Demo...Tusume-san, you must tell me what grudge you have against the Battousai. Did he kill a loved one? Perhaps a friend or a former sensei?"

Tusume looked away, "My reasoning is of no concern to you..."

"It is now."

Tusume paused, glaring at the assassin. "If it is that crucial that you know, I'll give you a simple answer...Battousai has it coming. His death is one that he deserves and one that I'd rather hand out personally."

"Then why don't you?" the shadow smirked beneath his hood, "You seem perfectly capable of killing his through some sort of trickery."

Tusume twitched slightly, his eye developing a short tick, "I don't usually resort to using assassins and the such, however, you know as well as I do that the Battousai is someone you don't play with. Were I to try and face him, I would most assuredly die in the process."

"So you _are_ scared of him."

"I'm _terrified_ of the Battousai." Tusume shrugged, "And I have no shame of it. Many men who underestimated his strength and thought themselves the better fighter have walked away either in shackles or dead...I won't make the same mistake they have."

The shadow shifted slightly, "I must warn you, Tusume-san, this may take me longer than overnight. Battousai is not a fighter that you simply rush in and attack. It will take planning and observation...I must know his weaknesses and strengths...the things he treasures most."

Tusume reached into his gi, removing a folded bundle of papers. He silently slid them across the table towards the dark corner. "Everything I know, you know, my friend. This is his location and the names of the people he resides with."

The shadow jerked, "Resides with? Do you mean to tell me that the Battousai has calmed his fury? Has he taken on a wife...does he have a child? When did all of this develop?"

"Apparently, Battousai became a rurouni years ago, taking on a vow that he'd never kill again. But just because he's adopted that vow doesn't mean he won't fight. Too many men have fought him and become seriously injured...a few coming close to death." Tusume leaned across the table, eyes twinkling in the fire light, "However, there are rumors going about that his victims really _do_ die...mostly in the hospital due to the extent of their injuries. Two died from brain malfunctions...one from a rib piercing through his heart. The Battousai may spare their lives on the field, but he _does_ eventually kill them."

The shadow nodded in understanding, "And does the Battousai know of these deaths?"

"Of course not," Tusume snorted, "The police have kept it under wraps. If the Battousai were to find out that his vow of mercy and non-killing is nothing more than a fool's dream, then there'd be no one they could turn to in a time of emergency. He'd put his sword away forever...if the news didn't destroy him mentally."

The shadow nodded again, "I see." He picked up the papers, the parchment disappearing into his cloak, "Then, Tusume-san, I will take your assignment and assassinate the Battousai...by the end of the week, he, and his friends, will be dead."

"And it won't be traced back to me...?"

The shadow stood, the cloak falling into place around him, "Don't you worry about that, Tusume-san...any evidence will lead to one of the local yakuza...for now, sleep well. I will send word when the Battousai is no more than a plot in a cemetery."

With a bow, the shadow disappeared like a mist, leaving no trace except for his empty sake cup. Tusume reached over, fingering the tiny bowl as he stared at the corner that the assassin had occupied. He finally allowed himself to shiver, tossing the bowl away from him. It was late. He needed to leave before any one became suspicious of the light emitting from the seemingly closes Akabeko.

Gathering his belonging, Tusume quickly sauntered out from his booth, opening the restaurant doors and retreating into the night.

* * *

_End of chapter one!! Thanks for reading and make sure that you R&R...sniffle i do value your opinion..._


	2. Chapter Two

**The Guardian**

_By: Wildfire Sky_

_Oh happy day!! In response to the reviews, I am going to continue my fic!! And don't worry; we're getting to the good part...just...be patient, alright? Good Lord..._

**The Guardian**

_Chapter Two_

* * *

Kenshin dipped the wet cloth back into the washing bucket, rubbing it against the riveted washboard. The sun was high in thenoon hour, the blue skies over run by billowing white clouds, and the huge forms casting shadows over the ground. It was days like these that set Kenshin's heart at ease, no matter what dangers were beyond the gate of the Kamiya dojo.

He released a small sigh, tilting his back as a cool breeze brushed through the courtyard. If there weren't chores to be done, he'd sit out on the back porch and enjoy this calm, perfect day. However, there was so much to be done before Kaoru got back from her lessons...cleaning, washing, drying; cooking...too much it seemed, too much for just one simple rurouni. But he'd do it and more if it meant that Kaoru would be able to relax when she got home.

"Oi! Kenshin!"

Kenshin lowered his head and looked towards the hall. Yahiko stood in the open shoji doors, bokken leaning against his shoulder; hand on his hip, looking like the confident samurai he was becoming.

Kenshin stood, dusting off his hakama and walking over, "Yahiko...what's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing!" Yahiko said with a slight smile, "I just wondering if you'd like to spar with me."

"Spar..."

"Yea!" Yahiko grinned, "Come on Kenshin, what harm could it do?"

Kenshin shook his head, "Yahiko, you know I won't pass on my sword style. It dies with me, that it does."

The young boy frowned, but never lost the twinkle in his eyes, "Ok, Kenshin...just thought I'd ask...so since you're not going to practice at all, what's for dinner?"

Kenshin scratched the back of his head in thought, "Well...if I leave now, I can go into market and buy some tofu and fish...and we need some rice as well..."

Yahiko nodded, waving a hand as he turned away, "Fine then, Kenshin, I'll see you later."

"Yahiko..."

"Hai?" the young samurai paused in the door way.

Kenshin smiled slightly, "You must understand that I can never pass on what I know. It would be too dangerous, that I would," he held up a hand as Yahiko opened his mouth, cutting off his word, "Especially right now...too much is going on for me to relax."

Yahiko rolled his eyes, "There's _always_ something happening in Tokyo, Kenshin, and you're always in the middle of it! Why don't you lay back and let the police deal with the criminals? Hang out with Sano or something..."

Kenshin let out a soft chuckle, "Yahiko, you know that Sanosuke is another trouble in himself. Where ever he's at, trouble is usually right there next to him."

"Yea, that's true!" Yahiko joined in his laughter for a brief moment before letting it fade away, silence claiming the dojo once again. Kenshin cleared his throat and turned away, adjusting the straps on his arms.

"I should get back to the laundry, that I should..."

"Kenshin..."

The rurouni paused at Yahiko's low, nervous voice, waiting for the young boy to continue. Yahiko jumped down from the porch, his footsteps slow and heavy as he neared. Yahiko moved in front of Kenshin, his eyes averted as he reached into his creamy gi and removing a crumpled letter.

"This came for you this morning...a police officer delivered it."

Kenshin frowned slightly as he unfolded the letter, "Why didn't you tell me earlier, Yahiko? It may have been important."

Yahiko rubbed his foot against the back of his leg sheepishly, "I, uh, I kind of read it Kenshin..."

"Yahiko..."

Yahiko flinched, "G-Gomen, Kenshin...I was just wondering if they were taking you away again..."

Kenshin shook his head, resisting a smile. Although he was annoyed with the paranoia surrounding the Kaimya dojo, he was also touched by it all. It was goes to show how much they all cared about him...it also went to show that his decisions effected more than just himself and Kaoru. He unfolded the letter, his eyes swiftly running over the characters the littered the page.

_Himura-san: I write to inform you that I will be arriving at the Kamiya dojo this evening to discuss the recent events plaguing Tokyo. It is very important that we meet face to face and not put this off any longer than it already has been._

Kenshin quickly folded the letter, stuffing it into his maroon gi. When he looked up, Yahiko still stood there, staring at him expectantly, albeit fearfully. "Are you really going to see him?" he asked, his bokken nervously tapping against his shoulder, "He'll get here before Kaoru does and I don't think..."

"It would be better if Kaoru-dono not be here, that it would." Kenshin smiled at the young boy softly, "She already has much to worry about." _Too much it seems...I am not helping..._

Yahiko's jaw dropped, "You...you're just going to leave Kaoru in the dark?"

"Of course not," Kenshin turned and picked up his wash bucket, tucking it under one arm, "I will tell Kaoru-dono my decision, I promised her I would, that I did...but if the police chief is coming for the reason I think, Kaoru-dono must not interrupt." _I do hope she will forgive me for what I am going to do. I know that the police could eventually take care of this man, that I do...however, to protect Kaoru-dono, I will do what I must._

Yahiko sighed, scratching his head, "You know Kaoru will kill you if you leave, right?"

"I do."

Yahiko stared at Kenshin, "If he asks you to...will you leave?"

Silence. Yahiko knew he'd hit a sensitive topic. Kaoru would be devastated if Kenshin left...even more so if he was to be injured...or killed...

Yahiko quickly shook his head, dispelling the horrible images of Kenshin's death from his mind. Kenshin wasn't just some hitokiri from the revolution...many samurai claimed that they were...but Kenshin was _the_ hitokiri...he was Battousai, a legend amongst all men and some one that an enemy would have one hell of a time defeating. He was invincible...even after all his injuries; Yahiko was utterly convinced that Kenshin was a god.

"Yahiko..."

The young samurai looked up in to Kenshin's deep violet eyes.

"Whatever decision I make...I will not make lightly." Kenshin smiled, "And it will be the best for everyone, that it will. That I promise you."

Yahiko nodded, turning away to go back inside. He paused in the doorway of the training hall, bowing his head. "Kenshin..."

"Hai?"

Yahiko looked over his shoulder, "Just don't break your promise..."

The smile fell from Kenshin's face, "I won't."

* * *

"Genze-sama, hurry...onegai!"

The shadow crouched lower in the shadows of the room, his hand tightening on the hilt of his katana. He'd been sitting there for hours now, waiting for the right time to strike. The numbness in his legs went unnoticed...it would quickly dissipate when he struck. For now, he would deal with the minor discomfort...he would accept it and strike.

"Genze-sama, we can not delay any longer! If you wish to get out of Tokyo, we must go _now_."

The shadow suppressed a chuckle, his red eye narrowing with laughter. They were nervous...scared...knowing that the end was upon them like Hell's fury. It wasn't in his style to send his victims notice, it gave the police something to work with, however, he felt it was appropriate this time. He wanted to test it...see the effects. Killing was fun with the fear of his victims...perhaps with warning the fear would be heightened. After all, he was very well known now.

The heavy thudding of boots drew his attention back to the doorway...back to the task at hand. Tori Genze. Another dirty politician and threat to his livelihood...they seemed to be everywhere nowadays. Genze was a good man by all accounts. A loving husband, dependable father, and well rounded when it came to manipulating others. But more than that, Genze personally knew the Battousai.

An acquaintance that he would soon regret ever having.

The voices were closer, more frantic. Unwitting of the danger that lurked in the shadows of Genze's dark room. _They should have lit a candle..._

He hated the light. Hated it and avoided it like a plague. Why? Even that was something he had yet to understand. Perhaps it was because the light took away his mysteriousness. Perhaps it was because he preferred to kill in the dark. Or maybe he just found comfort in it. Whatever the reason, his hatred for light was intense. And that was why he didn't want to do this...not right now, anyways.

He mentally cursed Tusume for talking him into this, this ludicrous. He was throwing away all of his morals and ideals to get at one man. To get a chance at fighting Battousai, he was willing to attack in the daylight...to succumb to his greatest weakness...

"I will not flee like some headless chicken!" a gruff voice filter through the closed door, the footsteps halting, "The assassin may have declared his intentions to kill me today, but never before has he struck in the day. By the time he crawls out from his little shit hole, I'll be long gone!"

Another, timid voice answered, "B-But Genze-sama...how can you be so sure of his intent? What if he's waiting in Kyoto as well?"

"Then damn it, I'll face him myself!"

"Genze-sama...we can not falter...the carriage is waiting outside..."

The gruff voice sighed loudly, "Very well, very well. At least allow me to gather my things from my desk."

The door opened as Genze strode in, looking every part the former samurai he was. Lean and muscular, his gi hung smoothly across his body, tucked neatly into his hakama. It was interesting that a politician would wear such garments. Today, they were keener to western clothing than anything else. His dark beard was neatly combed, hair slicked back and pulled into a short ponytail, blue eyes sweeping the room cautiously.

_For all his talk, he's certainly nervous..._

The shadow slowly began to stand, drawing his sword with a soft hiss of metal against leather. He'd mastered drawing his sword to the point where it made virtually no sound...it had always irked him whenever a target was alerted to his presence all because of his sword. Now, that miniscule trouble was a thing of the past.

Genze was sitting at his desk now, pulling out drawers and shifting through the contents, his heavy breathing loud against the quiet off the room. His bodyguards stood silently, one by the drawn curtains, the other by the door, shifting nervously and glancing over his shoulder. Genze coughed lightly, calling over his shoulder for more light.

The shadow instantly fell back into a crouch, pressing up against the dark corner as light flooded the room. He shrank back from the sun's piercing rays, curling up and away from the golden light.

_Of all the...damn it all!!_

Genze continued his search; ignorant to the discomfort of his would be assassin. He pulled open one last drawer, a smile breaking out across his face. He dumped a wrapped package on his desk, and from the look of it, it was filled with documents. Next he gently placed a revolver on top of the package, patting it softly.

"_This_ will keep that assassin at bay..." he said with a smile, "With this, he wont get closer than five feet before---"

"Before what?"

The two bodyguards shot forward, weapons drawn as they glanced around the office. Genze was on his feet, gun forgotten as panic over took his mind. "Where...where _is_ he?"

"It's amazing that you'd think simple daylight would hinder me."

One of the bodyguards stepped out of the pool of sunlight, eyes darting back and forth, "I can't see him..."

Genze glared, "Damn you! Get searching, he has to be in here!!" he jerked from behind his desk, a wisp of wind brushing by him. He stumbled into the middle of the room, his body trembling, "B-Behind my desk! He passed by me!"

The bodyguards looked towards the desk, faces etched with confusion. The smaller slowly walked forward, sword dropping as he searched. "Genze-sama...there's nothing..."

The room was suddenly plunged into darkness as the curtains fell back into place, the door slamming closed a moment later. Genze lunged for the door, snatching at the knob in panic. Locked.

The smaller guard blinked, "What the hell..."

He never felt the blade slice through his neck, never realized that he would have so brutal a death that his blood would drench the walls. He simply pitched forward, blood gurgling from his mouth as death took him in its wings.

The second guard rushed in Genze's side, sword raised in preparation. "Genze-sama, you must get out...quickly now!"

Genze shook his head, "The door has been locked."

The guard tightened his grip, "K'so...k'so!!" he chanced a glance over his shoulder, "Genze-sama, this man...he runs in the shadows...if we want to get out, we must use the window."

Genze snorted in shock, "The window? Have you lost your mind?"

The guard faced forward again, looking around, "Genze-sama, I know you can make it...you fought during the Bakumatsu, and this can't be any different."

The air was displaced again as a form rushed by. The guard turned with it, weapon trained on a dark corner. He could barely make out the outline of the man's body, but the gleaming red eye was good enough. The form shifted slightly, the shine of his blade heavy against the black.

"Don't look so scared, officer...I'll make it quick..."

The guard spat angrily, "Go to hell! If you think I'm going to be scared of death, then you're wrong!"

The shadow paused, amused by this sudden display of bravery. It wasn't like the Bakumatsu, when people would run and hide at the first signs of danger...today, they'd face that danger head on and fight it...

The shadow stepped away from his corner, licking the tip of his sword as he approached the two shaking men. The officer firmly planted himself in front of Genze, saber raised in preparation for whatever attack might come. He could barely see him...but he knew the man was there, just beyond the tiny pool of light he and Genze feel his hot breath rolling across his face. The guard took a slow swipe at the air, hitting nothing. There was a low chuckle from his right, and the man swung around towards it, eyes wide.

Genze reached inside his formal gi, pulling out a short knife and wielding it. "Damn coward! Come forward and fight this samurai!"

The guard glanced at the old man over his shoulder, "Genze-sama, please don't involve yourself in this fight. I'll distract him and let you escape, sir..."

"Oh, don't bother. He knows that neither of you are escaping here alive."

There was a commotion outside the door, raised voices and clomping boots filtering in from the hallway. The men turned towards the door, Genze sighing with relief. "At last...you see, assassin? You can't win now, how are you going to escape? It's daylight and the room is surrounded." He smirked into the darkness, "Give up now, and I swear I'll show you mercy."

"_Genze-sama! Genze-sama!"_

"_Open the door, damn it! Move!"_

The shadow snarled at the annoyance. Well this would certainly cause some delay. Heaving a disappointed sigh, he rushed forward, thrusting his sword through the guard's throat. Before the man even slumped to the floor, the shadow had Genze up against the back wall, a gloved hand muffling the man's surprise groans.

"Not a word, Genze..."

The door moaned from the impact of a hard body slamming into it. More cries then another vicious hit. This time, the door cracked, a wood chip flying across the room. With the next hit, the door swung open, admitting a troop of men, each with their pistols drawn, eyes darting back and forth.

The shadow cut off another of Genze's moans with a tight squeeze of his arm against the throat. The old samurai slumped forward in the assassin's arm, his eyes rolling back in his head. The guards never saw what rushed out into the suddenly dark hallway...the next thing they knew, they'd been locked inside a dark office staring down at two murdered officers.

* * *

_I know, I know...it took me forever. So sue me...or at least ridicule me a threaten me next time. Ok, I want to know, do you want me to do "review responces"?? I do it for my other fics, but they're Cyborg 009...I'm not sure how RK fans would like it. So I'm gonna do it this once and depending on your opinion, I may or may not do it again._

_**Goldangel2: **my god, as usual, you are the FIRST to review my fic, and that gives me a boost of happiness!! It's good to see you're going to support my RK fic as well as my Cyborg fic!!_

_**Animefreak5483: **hot damn!! Another transfer from Ante-Mortem!! OH HAPPY DAY!! I'm so happy that people actually trust my writing! Thank you!! What's more, you are my beta. I love you so much (in a beta reader...type...way...)_

_**xZig-zagx: **I promise you that I will not abandon this fic. I've only done that once and that was b/c it was going no where...but this one I will do my best on and complete!_

_**Sakura Mori: **not first, but close!! You WERE the first truly critical reviewer that actually got me thinking about my fic realistically, so thank you. And I promise, this won't end up like you think it will._

_**DeguChan: **hola...welcome to my world of insanity. I hope that you will enjoy my fic as much as I enjoy writing it!!_

_**animeinsomniac:** the FIRST??? Well my friend, maybe you should check out my Cyborg 009 fics!! You might like them...sorry it took so long for the next chapter_

_**Setafox: **thanks for your support!!_

_**dang that was really good. Plz continue: **yea...next time why not just put a name? _

_**TanukiChin313: **thanks for your review!! Please keep reading and enjoying!!_

_**Jupiter's Light: **thanks!! Keep reading!!_

_**Imagination Queen: **choppy huh? Ok I'll TRY and work on that...however, you need to be more specific. If you're referring to the way it jumps from different place to different place, that's just my writing style and I'm not going to change that. Sorry, but thanks for your opinion!!_

_**Nekotsuki:** hot damn!! You're fic is seriously my favorite RK, except for a couple of Goldangels2's. But I'm waiting for YOU to update...you got me checkin just about everyday and I'm getting anxious. So we'll do this trade for trade, alright?_

_**THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS!!**_

**_Ok, let me just say this right now...i like reviews and all that, but if you're that creep "The Masked Reviewer" who got me kicked off last time, you're really not wanted here. Read all you like, but keep your opinions to YOURSELF. I don't need people like you giving authors a hard time...writing is hard enough w/o have some jerk forcing people off the web. So there. Like I said, read all you want and enjoy, but I better not kicked off again because of you..._**


	3. Chapter Three

**The Guardian**

By: Wildfire Sky

_Well dadgum!! Lots of reviews for only two chapters...**sniffle** I'm so HAPPY!!! What's better, no one complained (yet) about the Review Responses so I'll keep doing that (but I'll keep em short). Oh yea, just in case any of you are wondering, no, I'm not taking these from another source. My REAL pen name is Wildfire Sky, but unfortunately, I got kicked off because of a certain someone...so I had to change it. Anyway, ON TO THE FIC!!_

**The Guardian**

_Chapter Three_

* * *

Genze awoke to total darkness, save for a single low flame torch mounted in a far corner of the room. He groaned, lifting his head to look around. Immediately, the world began to spin and he found himself vomiting on the floor, the putrid smell of his own waste assaulting his nostrils and causing him to throw up even more. He coughed and hacked against the bitter taste invading his mouth, spitting viciously at the floor.

Genze waited for his body to steady for risking lifting his head again. The dark was overwhelming, the light doing nothing to reveal whatever might lurk in the shadows...which could possibly be his attacker. The politician frowned, grunting as he tried to move, only to be stopped. His hands were tied tightly behind his back and around a thick pole, making movement virtually impossible. He cursed loudly, glaring into the darkness.

"Show yourself, coward!" he spat angrily, "Come out from hiding!"

The movement seemed to come from right beside him. Genze barely had time to suck in air before the cold feel of steel pressed up against his throat, barely nicking into the skin. He stared into the single red eye glaring out at him from the black, the emotions lost in the swirl of the deep ruby.

"I prefer silence, Genze-sama...please do well to keep that in mind." The blade was lowered and the shadow stepped away, "I welcome you to my keep, Genze-sama. I suggest you get comfortable because you won't be leaving anytime soon."

Genze looked directly at the assassin, "Who are you? Why do you hide in the shadows?"

The shadow paused, turning back towards Genze, "I am a hitokiri from Bakumastu...a warrior as you once were. That is all you need to know."

"Wait a damn minute! You can't just leave me tied up here!" Genze struggled against his bonds, "Do you have any idea who I am? I'm a very important man in Japan, and my disappearance won't be taken lightly!"

There was a low chuckle, "Forgive me for being blunt, but you're no more important than a common peasant."

"How dare..."

"You will be searched for, of course, however, it won't last much for than a few days, perhaps two weeks at the most. And then you'll be forgotten and replaced by another man." The assassin smirked in the dark, "The only ones who will miss you are the ones that depend on your money."

Genze stiffened, "Well then you'll have every yakuza in Japan looking for you! _They_ will hunt you down and kill you."

"I'd like to see them kill a ghost. The only humans who say me are being buried right now, and you will be joining them if you don't watch your tongue."

Genze began to sweat, his wrists rubbing against the ropes, "Listen to me. I'm of no use to you...what could I possibly have? Is it money you want? Return me safely and I'll give you as much as you want!"

The assassin's grin grew, "Oh no, you have information that I need..._valuable_ information in fact. Do you know who Hitokiri Battousai is?"

"That murderer from the Revolution?"

"Murderer? I thought you two fought on the same side..."

Genze laughed, "Doesn't mean I liked the bastard. He was always so quiet and slinking about, I honestly thought him dumb. Then he went and 'married' that bitch Tomoe..."

The shadow moved closer, "Tomoe? Did you just say Tomoe?"

Genze shrunk back, "H-Hai..."

The hard hilt of the assassin's blade came crashing across Genze's face, instantly knocking the old man out. He slumped against the pole, blood dripping from his cut cheek. The assassin stood next to him, staring at the man before turning sharply on his heel and leaving the chamber.

He allowed his shoulders to sag the moment the door slammed closed behind him, lowering his hood and running a hand through his wild black hair. He walked down the dim stone tunnel of his underground home. He'd found this place years ago, an apparent hideout of smugglers and bandits during the war. It was a complicated maze of natural tunnels carved deep into a mountainside, hidden by a thick tangle of foliage.

He pushed aside a thin sheet hanging over the entry way to a large dug out cave, one of the man made projects. It was sparely furnished, but good enough for him, a simple futon and table the only moveable furniture. He crossed over to the far wall, reaching into a clever cutout in the wall. Three long shelves stretched across half the wall length, deep enough for him to store food, weapons, and other essentials.

He removed a tiny, skin bag, gently cupping it in the palm of his hand. He moved over to the table, lighting a candle, yet placing it as far away from him as possible. He reached into the bag removing an old, broken mirror and held it towards the light. The shadow heaved a depressed sigh, softly trailing a hand around the cracked frame and handle.

"Oh, Tomoe...so is _he_ the one who did that to you?" the shadow clenched his fist, anger bubbling up within his chest, "For years I've searched for you, only to find out you'd been murdered...I never imagined that _Battousai_ was your killer...let alone your lover."

Stuffing the mirror back into the bag, he quickly made his futon and blew out the candle, dosing the room in darkness. He kneeled down on the futon and placed his sword next to him, ignoring the cool breeze of the caves as he closed his eyes, drifting off into sleep. For the rest of the night he would kneel there, back ridged as he slept, yet alert to everything around him. That night he would dream of the past and of a woman he'd once had the great honor of knowing...and loving...

* * *

The police chief came later than Kenshin expected; arriving long after Yahiko and Sano had gone to sleep. Kaoru and Kenshin had been up, finishing the dishes and talking in hushed tones when the police chief called from the entrance. Kaoru was instantly on her feet, whereas Kenshin took a little longer, not so eager to meet the man that could spell disaster for him.

By the time he'd made it to the courtyard, Kaoru was standing beside the chief, an unmistakable frown of frustration on her normally pleasant features. He sucked in a deep breath before forcing a smile to his lips as he approached.

"Good evening, Hirmua-san," the police chief said with a thin smile, "I trust you received my letter?"

Kenshin nodded, "Hai, shochou-sama, it arrived this morning."

"Then you must know of the urgency of this visit."

Kenshin glanced at Kaoru before nodded slowly, "Hai...Kaoru-dono..."

Kaoru glared, "No."

The ex-hitokiri sighed stepping towards her, but Kaoru quickly moved away, her glare intensifying. Kenshin's eyes pleaded with her as he spoke, "Kaoru-dono, I know that you want to listen, that I do...but that could put you in even more danger." He let a gentle smile grace his face, "Besides, it won't be very interesting listening to two old men, that it won't!"

Kaoru's glare softened as she smiled slightly, "Kenshin, you look as young as I am! That hardly qualifies you as an _old_ man." She glanced at the chief, "But I'm going to hear everything. After all, this is _my_ dojo..."

"I know, Kaoru-dono..."

"Then there won't be a problem, will there?"

Kenshin was at a lost for words. He knew that she could be stubborn, but she seemed exceptionally so tonight. Even at dinner, after all his insisting (and begging from Yahiko), she'd shoved him aside and took over cooking the rice, turning Kenshin's food into a bowl of virtual mush...one he forced down for her sake.

The police chief began to follow Kaoru, but paused as Kenshin's hand descended on his shoulder, "Shochou-sama...tell me now, will I be forced to leave?"

The police chief paused, his eyes clouding, "That, Himura-sama, will be determined..."

* * *

Kenshin sighed as the police chief finished his briefing on the current situation. It was worse than he imagined...much worse. Not only had this assassin gone after government officials, but he was taking out _every_ man of significant ranking as well as their family members, regardless of the fact that they were women and children, he slew them mercilessly. Kenshin glanced at Kaoru from the corner of his eye, searching her face for a reaction.

She sat on her cushion beside him, hands tightly folded in her lap, shoulders stiff and head bowed. Her bottom lip of tucked beneath her teeth as she chewed with worry. As though she felt Kenshin's gaze, she looked over at him, catching his eyes with her own worried ones.

"Himura-san, I know that you'd prefer not to get involved in this..."

"It's my duty, shochou," Kenshin quickly cut in, straightening, "I would never hesitate to intervene with these pointless murders. However, you don't have very much information besides the victims."

The police chief scratched the back of his head, "We'd been positive that he only attacked at night...up until yesterday when Genze-sama was kidnapped in the middle of the day by the murder. We call him the Toorima...the phantom killer, and he, as you know is a very dangerous man."

Kaoru spoke now, her lips tight, "So how is it that Kenshin is supposed to stop some sort of _phantom_?"

The chief looked at her, his eyes soft behind his glasses, "I realize that this is a difficult thing for you, Kaoru-dono, but the government is in chaos..."

"Why can't you just leave us alone?" her whisper was harsh and accusing as she looked up at the chief, eyes blazing, "Don't you see that Kenshin doesn't want any part of this anymore? It was you who wanted to change Japan, but now you can't keep up with it."

"Kaoru-dono..."

"What exactly do you expect Kenshin to do? Hunt him down like Makoto Shishio?"

At this the chief paused, his lips pursed as a heavy silence fell over the group. He looked over at Kenshin, searching for help. "It...it is not nearly as dangerous as the encounter with the criminal Makoto Shishio...and Himura-san will have the full support of the Tokyo police force, that I promise you."

Kaoru looked skeptical, "So they'll be at Kenshin's side when it comes time to capture Toorima? Can you promise me that?"

The chief shook his head, "The support will be somewhat limited...we must still keep the streets safe from common criminals."

Kenshin smiled softly, "Shochou-sama, it would be better if the police force continued their usual duties, that it would. We don't want to alert the assassin to our movements."

Kaoru looked at him in surprise, "But Kenshin...it's dangerous..."

"Kaoru-dono, I must ask that you not get anymore involved as well...it could endanger you more than I could ever allow."

Kaoru's face flushed as she quickly glanced away from his intense gaze. Kenshin didn't give her a chance to reply, instead standing up and bowing to the chief. "It is late, that it is, and we should be asleep."

"So you will help us then?"

Kenshin glanced down at the floor, "I will give you my answer tomorrow, that I will."

The police chief nodded and also stood following Kenshin out to the porch smiling at him, "Arigatou, Himura-san, the government's debt to you only runs deeper each day. You shall be compensated for your troubles in this matter. Kaoru-dono...please rest safe and be assured." He tipped his hat at Kaoru before following Kenshin's brisk pace to the gate. They exchanged a few words of parting before the chief disappeared down the dark road.

* * *

When Kenshin returned to the room, he found it empty, the lamp light softly illuminating the vacant space. For a moment, his heart clutched in his throat before his mind registered the soothing ki of his Kaoru. Blowing out the lamp, he quickly closed the shoji behind him and made for her room. It was dark when he opened the thin, rice paper door, peering inside, yet Kaoru sat there on her futon, staring blankly out of the high window, the moon light spilling around her upright body.

For a moment, Kenshin hesitated, entrapped in her beauty, yet disturbed by the increasing anxiety of her ki. Considering calling out, he instead entered the room, leaving the shoji open a mere crack. It was bad enough that he was entering Kaoru-dono's room without her consent, but to close the door would be an extreme violation of her privacy.

He knelt down in front of her, searching her face before cautiously reaching out and clasping her hand in his own. At the absence of a reaction he went further, gently turning her palm face up and staring at it. There were calluses and blisters all over her hands, blemishes any other man might find degrading, but Kenshin saw it as strength...a testament that she could hold her own if need be.

_Please...please, great Kami-sama, don't force her skills to be needed in this..._

Kaoru finally looked at him as his fingers lazily traced patterns over the rough skin of her palm, a warm sensation pooling in her belly. Kenshin never touched her like this...so why now? She wanted to pull away, but his hands were so warm...and she felt so venerable...

"I do not want you to worry about me, Kaoru-dono, that I do not."

Kaoru blinked at the words, her eyes focusing on Kenshin's soft smile, "And why not Kenshin? I can't help but worry everytime you go off on these fights that belong to the government. Why can't you let them handle their own problems for once?"

Kenshin sat down next to her on the futon, her hand still held in his, "The Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu will never allow me to do such a thing, that it will not. My sword and my sword style were both created to protect people...I am ashamed that I did not get involved earlier, even after reading about the murders in the paper."

Kaoru shook her head, "No, Kenshin, there's nothing to be ashamed about...whatever held you back did so for a reason."

"Kaoru-dono...do you really want me to stay and let things take it's own course?"

For a moment, Kaoru didn't know how to answer. Her mind was screaming at her to tell him yes, force him to stay at her side and not release him to the wolves. Yet her heart was telling her that holding him back would only do him more damage. Already he was in pain over the fact that he did not step forward before now...she could only imagine the depression he would seep into should there be more killings.

Slowly raising a hand to his cheek, Kaoru forced him to look at her, "Kenshin...it's your decision and you know it. I'd never hold you back from what your heart desired, but I can't help but wish that the police chief never came tonight."

Kenshin nodded slowly, "I know, Kaoru-dono...but he would have come eventually...had you not been there, I would have quickly said yes, no matter what the circumstances. But now, I'm not so sure..."

Kaoru smiled as she ran her hand through Kenshin's fiery strands, "Do what you think is best, Kenshin. I won't lie to you though, none of this makes me happy...but no matter what you do, you have my blessing."

Kenshin plastered a short smile on his face, nodding slowly and gathering Kaoru into his arms. "Arigatou, Kaoru...Arigatou..."

Kaoru sat stiff and amazed at the sudden contact, before allowing her body to melt into his firm hold and burying her face in the nape of his neck, her own arms going around him. They remained that way until Kaoru slowly drifted off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep, the warmth of Kenshin soothing her worried mind. The ex-hitokiri sat quietly, enjoying the feel of her and listening to her soft breathing, regretful that he was going to have to leave.

He moved to pull away, but Kaoru's grip suddenly tightened around his gi, forcing him to remain close. Kenshin glanced around the empty room nervously, embarrassed at his situation...he could wake her up from her sleep by prying her lose...or he could remain her with her, but risk detection by Sanouske and Yahiko in the morning.

The sound of her soft whimper when he tried to move again made up his mind. Gathering her into his arms, he stood, blanket in tow, and sat against the far wall, drawing out his sakabatou and placing it beside him. He lower Kaoru into his lap, throwing the blanket over them as he leaned back, shifting into a comfortable position. He watched the sliver of moonlight entering from the cracked shoji, regarding it lightly as he gently placed in his chin on top of Kaoru's head, his eyes fluttering closed.

Should anyone have looked inside, they would have seen what might have been two lovers enjoying the warmth and company of each other.

What Toorima saw was a weakness and his advantage.

* * *

_Tada!! I updated quicker than I thought I would!! And I've come to a decision...every time I do Review Responses, I always B.S. them at the end because I'm tired and I'm sleepy (I usually finish my chapters at night)...so I've decided that if you have something you really want me to address and/or respond to, put it in your review...if not, then meh...review your ass off!! However, I shall always thank my beta reader for their input on my chappies!! I LUV YA MAN!! And please, for the love of GOD, tell me if you see a problem people!!_

_**Thanks for all your reviews!!**_

_**Watch out for my next chapter!!**_

_Oh yea..._

_**PS: Alright, Neko, it's your turn now...**_


	4. Chapter Four

**The Guardian**

By: Wildfire Sky

_I think that I might finally be getting this whole chapter update thing under control. I'll just do it one story at the time, starting with this one, then Ante-Mortem (for those of you who read that), and then Ad Astra (again, for Cyborg 009 fans), that way I'm giving each story equal attention. I'm so smart._

_Oh!! Even though it's been four chapters now, I forgot the disclaimer (rolls eyes), so let me do this. **I don't own Rurouni Kenshin nor do I own any of the characters except for the ones I've created through my own simple talent.**_

**The Guardian**

Chapter Four

* * *

It was dark.

Even with the full moon out, he could barely see three feet in front of him. There was no way he could know if his pursuers were still hunting him, or if he'd finally given them the slip. Slowing down his rapid pace through the thick woodland, his tiny legs shaking with overexertion as he leaned against the nearest tree. Sweat poured down his brow, dripping and mixing with the dirt beneath his bare feet.

There was pain in his chest...pain he felt nearly everyday. It wasn't easy being so young and forced to work so hard under a hot, blazing sun every single afternoon. His tiny heart couldn't keep up with the strain of dragging huge pieces of timber from the forest to his uncle's house nearly ten miles away. He was never allowed water, that is until he collapsed in the front yard and his aunt was able to escape her husband to assist him. Now, he was straining once again, in a fight to survive.

The snap of a twig caused the young boy to jerk upright, pale grey eyes searching the woods for whatever was coming near. He held his breath, slumping lower against the rough bark, squeezing his eyes shut as he murmured a quick prayer.

There was a gruff snort of a man, his mumbles low yet sinister. The boy could hear him whispering to himself, could almost smell the warm sake on his breath as the man moved closer and closer, not bothering to mask his steps in his drunken stupor.

"Fucking brat kid...I'll kill him...I'll rip his puny little throat out..."

The boy covered his ear, shaking his head as if it would ward of the evil spirit of his pursuer. A tiny whimper escaped unwillingly from between his lips and the footsteps immediately stopped, the snorting and coughing falling silent. The boy's mind urged him to run, to escape to safety...but he was frozen to the ground, whimpering and rolling back and forth on his heels, shaking his head miserably.

There was a flurry of noise and cursing as the man turned towards him, crashing through the foliage, snarling viciously as he moved. The steps came to a rest, and the boy could hear the heavy breathing of his hunter above him and sickeningly close.

"There you are..." the man snarled angrily, "I can't believe I had to run all over this damn forest looking for you!" The boy cried out in horror and pain as the man reached down, lifting him up by the front of his tattered shirt and shaking him like a rag doll, "Do you know how worried your aunt was?"

Tears were streaming down the child's face even before the blows started, each hit punctuated by a curse and the smell of blood. No doubt his aunt wasn't worried about him...not now...not ever again.

The man suddenly fell silent, dropping the boy to the ground as he pulled the dirty, bloody blade from his sash, staring at it in the moonlight.

"She wouldn't stop crying..." he said, eyes sparkling dangerously as he turned to the boy, a smile forming on his chapped lips, "Oh no...the bitch wouldn't stop crying until I made her..." He knelt down, tapping the blade against the boy's forehead, "And now you're crying too..."

The boy's scream cut through the air as the man's blade slashed down...

* * *

Toorima slowly opened his eyes, never one to 'jerk' awake from his nightmares. He'd learned long ago to accept them for they were...images created by the mind revealing your fears to you. He prided himself on having few fears, light being one of the few exceptions. But at the moment, the sun was not a pain to him...

The moon was full, the dojo dark, and its occupants fast asleep, unaware of the creature that lurked through their home. He wanted to convince himself that the Battousai had not stooped to the level of depending on a _woman_ for his livelihood, but as he hid in the dark beneath the house steps, watching and waiting, his became more and more disgusted with the man.

This was _not_ the Battousai he looked forward to killing. What he watched was an old man washing cloths and cooking...a woman in the body of a man. And now he was trying to woo this woman he slaved over...would wonders never cease? A man of his strength and caliber bowing down to _her_! What the hell had happened since the Bakumatsu? Had Battousai become weak and submissive?

Well, he wouldn't be forced to do so much longer...after tonight, both Battousai and the apparent man he'd become would be dead.

He uncurled himself from underneath the dojo floors, crawling forward through the grime and bugs that lived in the damp space, ignorant to their presence over his body as he moved. He could bathe later, for now, he wanted to get this over with and return to Genze. The man was very interesting and had proved so yesterday in the early hours before dawn, when they'd had a chance to talk.

* * *

"Oh please, like I would really tell my kidnapper anything!" Genze glared, "As a samurai, I know when to keep my mouth shut."

Toorima stared at him in amusement, his one glowing red eye pinning the old man to where he stood bound. He vaguely considered untying the man...the ropes were cutting into his flesh and rubbing the skin raw...but he only allowed such luxuries to people who actually cooperated with him, and Genze was most uncooperative.

"I see your samurai roots are resurfacing," Toorima said from the dark corner of the room he'd previously occupied. He put a small candle near Genze not so much so he could read his face, with his training it would be simple enough even in the dark of night, but just so that the man felt a bit more comfortable. Comfort meant a loose tongue. "Perhaps you should set aside that...you no longer wear the sword, am I right?"

Genze paused, "I may have thrown away the blade, but I have not thrown away my honor. However, it seems to me that you have, assassin...or do they call you something else?"

Toorima chuckled, "I'm known as the Phantom Killer...Toorima. I could have thought of something cleverer, but if they wish for such a title, it suits me."

"Don't you have a name, boy?"

Toorima glanced up from his position, red eye narrowing, "My given name is of no concern to you, remember that or remember pain...your choice. Now then, Genze-sama, please tell me more about the Battousai, since you seem to know him so well I'm sure you have a wealth of information. Please enlighten me."

Genze stared at him, "Do you honestly think I'll willingly provide you with information? I might not like the Battousai, but he is still my ally."

Toorima turned away silently, staring down at the damp ground in though and frustration. "You are being ridiculously stubborn, Genze-sama...my request is very simple. Why are you protecting a man that you've never liked?"

Genze stared at Toorima, trying to ignore the binds biting into his skin. "You are a hitokiri, are you not? Finding such information yourself should be a simple task. Why don't you do it yourself instead of going through the trouble of capturing samurai?"

A harsh laugh cut through the air. Toorima slowly stood, approaching to the very edge of the candle light, his eye reflecting the flames. "You are hardly samurai, Genze-sama. You're no better than a puppet for the government...where as I am still free to do as I please."

"I might be a puppet of the government," Genze spat angrily, "But at least I have a place in the world. Look at you! You slink around in the shadows, living in a cave, never letting yourself be seen in public." Genze sneered, "The only difference between you and me is that you're a puppet of society."

The flame was suddenly snuffed out as Genze felt the rough fabric of a glove wrap around his throat, squeezing the air from him. Genze's eyes grew wide with panic, his struggles lost to the binding across his body, limited to just his head. Toorima's single, red eye stared out from the darkness, instilling fear in his captive.

"Watch it, Genze-sama..." Toorima snarled, "My reasoning for living the way I do is _my_ concern only. Do not think I'll allow any 'analyzing' of it. Understand?"

"H...Hai..." Genze managed to croak out, eyes bulging, "I...won't..."

For a moment, their eyes locked before Toorima withdrew his hand, the room flaring back up again with light. Genze slumped forward against his bindings, gasping for air.

"Are you willing to talk yet, or will I have to force it from you?" Toorima smirked, "Don't be a fool...what have you got to lose besides some sleep? Especially when there's so much more I could take from you..." Toorima punctuated his words with the tip of his sword pressed up against Genze's chest.

Genze looked up defiantly, "Do you honestly think the threat of death will make a true samurai cow down to the wishes of his enemy?"

"Then perhaps the death of your family will sway you to be more cooperative..." the sword tips fell away as Toorima turned, "In fact, your wife should be at home right now, correct? Perhaps I'll pay her and your grandson a visit."

Fear gripped Genze's heart, stealing away his breath. "No wait!" he called out in panic, "Don't hurt them!"

"Then tell me what I need to know! What is the Battousai's weakness? What makes him tick?"

Genze shrunk away from the assassin's harsh tone, "I don't know a lot about the Battousai...but what I _do_ know is that he's changed...he's become a rurouni these past ten years and is living somewhere in Tokyo. You'd have to go to the police to find the exact location..."

"And what of his weaknesses?"

There was a short pause as Genze finally looked up. "As I understand it, there is someone important to him..."

* * *

Toorima smirked, inwardly laughing at his good luck. Who would have thought he'd find both the Battousai _and_ his lover locked in embrace, blissfully unawares of their surroundings? It was the perfect catch. Kill the woman, capture Battousai, and return his head to his contact. It was pathetically simple. It was hard to imagine that after only ten years, the Battousai would leave himself so open to attack. Toorima still could not truly sleep, his body on constant alert and reacting to every shift in movement around him.

He shifted slightly, his katana drawn from its sheath with hardly a whisper. The weight was a comfort against his calloused hand, a knowing reminder that he was now in charge of the situation and should act accordingly.

_Don't listen to their pitiful pleading...they'd kill you if they had the chance._

He began to crawl forward.

_Show no mercy...they would not. _

He emerged from the shadows, glancing over at the bare porch.

_Kill all...the weak may become strong and the sick healthy. _

He silently noted the ki of the other occupants, making a mental note to kill them as well.

_Stay true to the sword...it shall remain ever faithful to you as your guardian._

Moving slowly and silently, he climbed the porch steps, reaching for the shoji door that would reveal his sleeping victims...

* * *

Kenshin shifted uncomfortably against the wall, something dragging him from his dreamless slumber. It was becoming annoying, how jumpy he was. Only a few days ago he nearly decapitated an innocent bird that had the ill luck of landing on his chest while he was sleeping. And now he was awake again, probably worrying over nothing.

_Still..._

He randomly threw out his ki in warning to whatever small, innocent creature might be happening by, carefully searching to dojo for any unwanted presence that would dare to enter these grounds. After searching for what seemed like hours and finding nothing, Kenshin settled back against the wall again, pulling Kaoru closer.

The feel of her light breathing against his neck was soothing, even arousing in a way. He could almost imagine how heavy her breathing might become during love making....Kenshin quickly shook his head, clearing the vile thoughts from his minds. Marriage should take priority over breeding. He must woo her before he took her...it was honorable.

He was just beginning to close his eyes, when it struck him. Stiffening dangerously, Kenshin instinctively reached out a hand for his sakabatou, his eyes narrowing as he searched for what was only a spark of ki. Someone _was_ in the dojo...someone trained enough that they managed to hide their ki momentarily, even from him. He curled his hand around the sheath...and froze.

It was gone.

It was like a flash of hot lightning had suddenly struck him through the heart. There was an intruder within his walls, and he could not find his sword. Misplacement wasn't an option. After years of fighting one learned not to lose their sword...especially at night. He was certain he'd laid it next to him. Yet, he slowly stretched out, searching aimlessly for his missing weapon.

Then the heavy foot gently descended on his hand and Kenshin's heart stopped as the point of a blade found its way beneath his chin, tickling his throat. There was a light chuckle from the dark, an almost pleasant sound had it not been for the circumstances.

"Looking for this?"

Kenshin's eyes darkened. "You must be the one they call Toorima..."

The chuckling stopped.

"How did you manage to hide yourself?"

The pressure of the sandal slowly increased until Kenshin could almost feel his hands being crushed into the wood. The voice that answered was gruff, yet almost gentle at the same time...the voice of a calm, collected killer.

"I would stay quiet, Battousai...you wouldn't want to wake your woman..." the voice chuckled again. "And we wouldn't want that, now would we? I usually carve out the throats of noisy people..."

Kenshin's arms tightened around Kaoru protectively as he hissed. "You will not harm her, that you won't..."

The blade was suddenly jerked upwards, jabbing into the underbelly of Kenshin's jaw. The ex-hitokiri could feel the droplets of blood trickling down from the sword as the killer held it in place.

"A very good friend of mine told me you changed Battousai...changed into his loving, caring man...a complete opposite of your former self. That you've even managed to find love..." The sandal smashed down on Kenshin's hand, causing the rurouni to wince at the fire spreading throughout his fingers, "A love that you don't deserve...does this woman know about your past, Battousai?"

Kenshin glared up at the darkness, "Kaoru-dono does not care for my past, that she does not. To her, my past means nothing..."

"Nothing indeed...then answer me this...when you become violent, does she cower away...begin to weep at the sight of you out for blood? Does she beg for you to return to the good 'rurouni' that you once were?"

Kenshin sat silent.

"You see? If you past didn't matter, then she wouldn't care _how_ you win the battle, as long as you still love her. She prefers the present and _not_ your past, Battousai...she wants to see the demon in you vanquished forever." There was a short pause. "Does that sound like a woman who doesn't care about your past? She's a hypocrite."

Kenshin's anger suddenly flared up, amber flecks rushing to his iris. "You will _not_ call Kaoru-dono a hypocrite, Toorima. She is better than that...better than both of us! For you to come here and dishonor her without knowing her as I do is an insult to me. Now you should leave this place peacefully and never return."

In his arms Kaoru stirred, turning bright blue eyes on Kenshin's surprised face. "Kenshin? What's wrong? What's with the voices?" Her eyes landed on the blade pressed against Kenshin's neck, inhaling sharply. She slowly turned, searching for the attacker, but found nothing, the blade disappearing into the black. "What...what in the world..."

Kaoru jerked back as the blade flipped away from Kenshin's chin, pointing at her slim chest. It slowly traveled up the front of her hakama, coming to rest against her cheek. The weapon turned until the edge of its blade was pressed against her face but not drawing blood.

"She _is_ pretty, Battousai...you have good taste." Toorima laughed softly, "And I can see that she is fierce. Her terror doesn't reach her eyes."

Kenshin resisted the urge to slap away the blade, knowing it would cause more problems than it would solve. This assassin of the shadows...the phantom killer...was a dangerous man. One who had managed to invade the dojo undetected and hold both he and Kaoru captive within a relatively short amount of time. The question that continued to resurface in Kenshin's mind was:

"How did you know where to find me?"

Toorima stepped closer, revealing his gleaming red eye to his captives. "Unlike you, Battousai, I will not hesitate to torture a man...nor will I hesitate to kill him if he proves unworthy. Those two factors in itself make me powerful...it also makes me smarter. Why should I reveal myself to a dead man?"

Kenshin's arms tightened around Kaoru as a tiny, unbidden whimper escaped from her throat. "You are from the Baku era, aren't you?"

"I lived during it, yes."

"Then you know of honor."

Toorima did not readily reply, studying Kenshin's shadowed face. "Assassins are not usually considered honorable. We attack from the shadows and wait for you to turn your back...does that sound like an honorable man to you?"

Kenshin licked his lips, carefully choosing his next words. "To a normal man...no. You are hardly honorable...however, as an assassin myself...you seem quite honorable. I never gave my targets a chance to say a word. I was swift and merciless."

"As am I Battousai.

"But you haven't killed me yet..."

There was another pregnant pause.

"I haven't killed you yet," Toorima said quietly, "Because there is something else I wish to do before you meet death..."

Suddenly the room was filled with moonlight as the shoji door slammed open, revealing a large hulking shadow and a smaller one, their bodies partially blocking the light. Toorima instantly shrank back from the light, his eye glaring at the two newcomers as his blade was forced away.

"Well, well...I thought I heard someone disturbing my beauty sleep." The larger form snarled.

The smaller form held something in his hands which he jabbed at Toorima with. "Yea! Who the hell are you?"

Toorima stared at them balefully as Kenshin pushed himself away from the wall, half carrying Kaoru to safety. "It would be wise for you to turn away...my mission will not fail, I assure you of that."

The large form cracked his knuckles. "Well you've just had a change in plans...your mission now is to get out of here before I smash your head open."

Kenshin shoot a glance at his friend in warning. "Sano...don't underestimate him...he's dangerous."

Sano smirked down at the smaller man. "He's scared of the light...how can he kill us if he afraid to move?"

The deep throated laughter of Toorima filled the room as the rustle of clothing reached Sano's ears.

"Zanza...the Battousai is correct. Many have died who've underestimated me...and you will be no exception. Now prepare yourselves for the afterlife..."

"Bring it on, you little..." Sano's growl trailed off.

By the time he registered the assassin's movement, Toorima had him pressed up against the outer dojo walls, grinding his face into the unmovable stone.

* * *

_Well, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!! I know I will...up to a point. Does, uh, anyone have a degree in computer repair or something like that? I getting frigging desperate here, so assistance would be VERY nice. Besides that, peace out!!_

_**THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!!**_

_Wait wait...time lapse...lol...that little blurb up there was written WAY before Christmas. I was hoping to update all my stories as a "Christmas Present" to all my fans out there, but as you can see...I had some computer problems which have only recently been solved. So, my apologises for not updating sooner but, well, shit happens. _

_**PEACE!!**_


	5. Chapter Five

**The Guardian**

By: Wildfire Sky

_Ooo boy...you don't have to tell me I took forever to update. I know. And, as I said in Ante-Mortem, I am very, very sorry and ask that you forgive me. I'm a busy woman and writing chapters has taken the back burner when it comes to advancing my life. However, once everything clears up, I'll get back on the band wagon, alright? For now, I'll update every chance I get, but don't expect it to be any earlier than every week or so._

**The Guardian**

_Chapter Five

* * *

_

He awoke to the first light of dawn, surrounded by blood...his blood.

The young boy began to sit upright, wincing painfully as the dried blood pulled at his tender skin, tearing and breaking with each slow movement. He crawled closer to the tree line, shying away from the light. He hated the light...hated it because of what happened in the rays of the sun...

For the first time, the child glanced around, half expecting to see his tormentor standing above him, wielding a sword with his blood dripping from it. Yet the forest was empty...quiet save for the soft calls of early birds. There was a fresh smell to it...the smell of morning dew. He might have enjoyed it, had it not been for the circumstances.

The boy twitched involuntarily. He needed to get into darkness...get away from the revealing light. He pushed his body against the tree trunk, forcing his body to stand. The world spun, his vision a blur...why? His wounds must be worse than he thought. The boy took a step forward and his world was suddenly doused in black. He stumbled, crying out in surprise as he ate dirt.

The _clip clop_ of hoofs caused him to lift his head, swinging it around searching for the source of the noise. Was he near a path? No...no he couldn't remember seeing a path anywhere near here...so then why? Suddenly the noise turned deafening, the ground beneath him shaking violently. The army was nearly on top of him by the time he heard the snorting and whining of the cavalry.

He shrank back to the ground, pressing up against the tree. He couldn't tell if they were in front of him or behind, his blind sight forcing him to rely on fate. It was when he heard footsteps swishing through the grass, he knew that staying still was a mistake. The fear was only enforced as he felt the sharp jab of a sword against his chest.

"Get up!"

The young boy shook violently, reaching for the tree trunk for support. His legs wouldn't work, the limbs unsupportive as he struggled to obey the man's orders. There were more footsteps at the man's shout, and soon the boy could hear the low conversations around him of men questioning each other, until another booming voice ordered them silent.

The neighing of a horse was now closer and the boy pressed himself closer to the tree, curling up into a fetal position. He heard the man dismount, the clank of armor hitting against each other intensified by his fears.

"Yusan-sama!" a voice said, "We've found this child hiding in the woods. A spy for the imperialists."  
_Imperialists?_ The boy thought, _No...oh, no..._

Should he be mistaken for a spy...or for even having any association with the Imperialist army, he would be executed or held prisoner in some stinking cell until he died. No...how could Kami-sama be so cruel? Surely, he was more important than that! He _had_ to be!

A deep, resounding voice answered the first. "A spy? He looks like a common urchin to me. Search his clothing for any Imperial markings then restrain him. We will take him with us back to Kyoto."

"Hai, Yusan-sama!"

The boy was rough grabbed beneath his arms and yanked upright, his legs falling limply to the ground. As the soldiers loosened their grip and began to search, he stumbled, his head swimming. Oh, Kami, if only he could see! He didn't care if it was the last thing he'd ever see, he wanted to see _colors_ again. He cried out as he legs collapsed beneath him, weak from blood loss. The soldiers grabbed him again, giving him a shake that sent his teeth rattling.

"Brat!" the first voice snarled, "How dare you show such weakness before our great lord! You don't deserve to even be in his presence."

The booming voice spoke up again, "Be gentle, sergeant, can't you see the wounds on his body? This boy is no spy, however, it does look like he's been in some sort of attack."

The youngster saw his chance. It was a risk, yes, but whatever fate he had now wouldn't change. "My lord, Yusan-sama!" he said, falling to his knees and bowing before him, "Yusan-sama, please, I beg for your mercy!"

He was viciously kicked.

"How dare you speak to his greatness before addressed!"

The boy whimpered in pain as the blows rained down upon him. It seemed like they would beat him to death, the same death his uncle had promised only hours before. His face was pressed into the damp ground, muffling his pleads and mixing with his tears.

"Enough." The booming voice, who must have been Yusan, said quietly, "Let the boy up."

He was hauled to his feet and held between to soldiers. Blindly he moved his head about, trying to locate the people around him. Soft fingers lifted his chin, forcing his head back.

"You're blind, aren't you?" Yusan's voice questioned, his finger gliding over his eyes, "Yes, I can see it...that wound has blinded you. You, young boy, are lucky that your eyes weren't completely cut out."

The boy remained silent, letting the stranger examine him. Finally, the hands fell away and he heard Yusan step back.

"He will be put up with my sister when we arrive in Kyoto," Yusan commanded, "He will remain with Akoshin until he reaches the city."

The man who was the sergeant quickly obeyed, ordering the soldiers to remove the boy and place him with whoever Akoshin was.

And for the first time, the boy thought he had a chance in life...

* * *

Toorima released a deep snarl from with in his throat as he dug his fingers into the side of Sanouske's face, grinding the larger man into the hard wall. He could feel the waves of shock rolling from the occupants of the dojo, even the Battousai. No, this was the first time any of them had seen such speed from another save their legendary comrade, and it was something that they weren't prepared for. His style of fighting was based around speed and accuracy.

_Hide and strike like a snake._

He pulled back Sano's head and smashed it against the wall again, harder this time.

_Let the venom from you fangs fill their ever vein._

He grinned in primal satisfaction at the feeling of the fighter's jerking.

_You have no weaknesses. You can't be stopped if your head is cut off..._

He sensed movement...speed...anger...

_Nor if your venom runs dry..._

Battousai was beside him in an instant, his hands simultaneously moving towards the sword hidden inside Toorima's robes and the hand again Sano's face.

_For your fangs can still inflict damage._

Toorima jerked away, sacrificing his attack in favor of keeping his well earned prize. He wrapped a protective hand around the sheath of the sakabatou, glaring in Kenshin's direction. The moonlight spilled around him, casting him in an almost alien glow as he stood facing Kenshin and his small band. The young woman was currently tending to their half conscious friend and the smaller boy, to Toorima's amusement, was standing behind the Battousai, wielding a wooden sword like he was going to do something with it.

"I suggest, Battousai," Toorima sneered, thrusting his chin forward, "That you tell your little friend to put his sword away. He is not a target yet, but I am very flexible in my picking."

Kenshin's eyes never left Toorima's as he ordered the boy to go. Instantly, the youngster began to wail and monologue, proclaiming that he had every right to fight beside him, that Sanouske was his friend too; he had to protect Kaoru and the name of the Kamiya-Kashin style...blah blah blah...

"Yahiko!" Kenshin snapped sternly, "If you do want to protect Kaoru-dono, take her away from here."

Toorima smirked. "Do you honestly think that if they hide, I will not eventually find them? A female who dresses like a man and a giant are easy targets to pick out in a crowd. Besides," he motioned towards the walls, "I have eyes all over Tokyo."

Kenshin stiffened slightly, a move that was only visible to Toorima's trained eye. He was boosting, and exaggerating, more than he should, but the situation was in his favor. He had the Battousai's sword, their only true weapon was on the ground bleeding profusely, and the target was occupied with protecting his love life. Oh yes, this was turning out to be more fun than he expected.

"What do you want, Toorima?"

The assassin's smile disappeared, "To be perfectly honest, I wanted nothing to do with you. To me, you were just another displaced warrior that the government couldn't get to...like me. You are simply another victim on my list. Another assassination."

Kenshin risked a step forward. "Then who hired you? Some politician?"

"I was intrigued by his offer," Toorima continued, dodging Kenshin's question, "When I heard it was the Battousai I was after, there was no way I could say no. What samurai in their right mind would turn down a chance at killing such a legend?"

Kenshin frowned, "Not many."

Toorima nodded, fingering his own katana as he stared at Kenshin in thought, "Indeed, I've heard of the many attacks on you and your adopted family, the most significant being Saitou. Perhaps you should have taken on a lower profile...or simply remained a legend, yes?" He shook his head, "It's unfortunate that I have to end this fun so quickly."

Kenshin slowly moved into a fighting stance, his eyes narrowing, "If you have the skill to take me down, then do so..."

Toorima smirked, "If you so wish, Battousai..."

The sudden sounding of multiple whistles shattered the air, causing Toorima to look up in surprise. His lips pulled back into an almost animalistic snarl as the tramping of boots and shouts joined the alarm.

"That damn girl..." he hissed, glaring at Kenshin, "Just saved your life." He straightened, shaking his head sadly, "It's very unfortunate that this must be cut so short...especially when I was beginning to enjoy myself. But don't worry, Battousai, I _will_ be back...and until I do return, I'll take your sword as a souvenir."

Before Kenshin could move, Toorima had disappeared into the darkness, leaving not but displaced air in his wake. Kenshin jerked to a stop, his eyes darting across the empty grounds suspiciously, ready for attack from any direction. He searched the dojo for the assassin's ki, blindly hoping that he would detect him this time. A frown slowly crossed his face as it became more and more evident that Toorima had disappeared...with his sword...

"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin spun around, searching for them. His eyes locked on the struggling form of Sano, the fighter trying to lift his abused body from the ground. Kenshin rushed over, swearing softly under his breath. Sano managed to flash Kenshin a weak smile as he approached, continuing to struggle.

"Hey Kenshin...did that bastard run off or something?"

Kenshin nodded, grabbing a hold of Sano's arm, "Aa...he's gone..."

"That's good...ah! Shit, don't do that!" Sano jerked away from Kenshin's touch, hot white flashes passing in front of his eyes from the increase in pain, "Aw hell, Kenshin...I think I broke something..."

Kenshin's frown deepened, gingerly prodding at his friend's body, checking for breaks. As his hand moved over Sano's chest, the fighter cried out again, a small trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth. Instantly, Kenshin pulled away, searching Sano's face.

"I think you broke a rib, that I do. I'll have to call Megumi-san...but..."

Sano smirked painfully, "Yahiko and Kaoru took off only a second ago. They were trying to help me up, but I told them to run before I blacked out again." He leaned back against the wall, releasing a shallow sigh. He slowly shook his head, glancing at Kenshin from the corner of his eye.

"So...what now...?"

* * *

Toorima stormed into the cave, his red eye blazing angrily when he rounded on his captive. Before Genze could speak, Toorima had appeared from the darkness, his fist slamming into the older man's jaw repeatedly. Unfortunately for Genze, no one could stop Toorima's assault, and so he was forced to endure the blinding pain as the assassin took out his frustrations on the man's flesh.

"Wh...Why...?" Genze managed to say through his swollen and bloody mouth.

Toorima violently struck him again, "Did you forget to mention Battousai's other friends?"

"What other..."

"Don't play coy with me, Genze-sama!" Toorima locked his hands around the man's neck, squeezing dangerously, "The Battousai's friends! Zanza! That damn _brat_ of a child! What about them?"

Genze groaned, unable to escape Toorima's hands. "I...I never knew..."

Toorima quickly backhanded him, cutting off his sentence, "Enough of your lies, Genze...you've managed to piss me off, a stupid move on your part."

Genze gasped for air as Toorima released him and stepped back, observing the slumped elder. "As of the moment, I hold the Battousai's sword...without it, he's utterly powerless against my skills." He turned away, "I suggest you get some sleep, Genze-sama...you won't be getting much once day breaks.

Genze let out a panic moan, shifting against his chains. "No...wait..."

But Toorima was gone.

* * *

The assassin carefully placed Kenshin's sakabatou against the far wall before kneeling on his cot, preparing for sleep. He needed to recharge his energy before making another attempt at the Battousai that much was for certain. This simple encounter had left him drained and deflated, despite the fact that neither he nor the Battousai had touched each other. There was something...something about the man that seemed to suck the life from him...a power that only that man seemed to hold...

And that scared Toorima. And fear was something he tried to purge himself of. Forever. Yet, even that was a constant struggle of which there seemed to be no end, and having no one to help him with this struggle made it all the more unbearable.

"Tomoe..."

He started at the sound of his own voice, his eyes snapping open. Why? After all these years he'd never dreamed, never thought, about that woman...that traitor. So why _now_? He'd meant to push her out of his mind, but some how, she just won't stay dead.

Grinding his teeth together, Toorima leapt to his feet, storming over to his shelving and pulling down a long knotted cord. He quickly tore off his black robe, throwing it carelessly to the ground as he knelt on the cold stone. The rope dangled in the air for only a moment before it came slashing across his back, leaving a crimson trail in its wake. Barely a grunt escaped from Toorima's lips as the whip came down again and again, its user struggling to drive away his impure thoughts.

"She's a whore! A damn whore!"

It came down again.

"Wretched, wretched woman!"

Again.

"You're where you belong! Burn!"

The end was dripping blood now, and Toorima's vision was beginning to wan. Yet, he continued cursing and hissing to himself as he beat his body.

"How could I..._how_?"

The whip came down a final time before it slipped from Toorima's hands. The assassin mumbled painfully, breathing slow and deep as he fought to maintain consciousness. He could taste copper in his mouth...his blood. He'd beat himself worse tonight...worse than he'd ever had before. His mind was swimming, the world blurring constantly as he swayed back and forth, another moan escaping his lips.

"T...Tomoe..."

_No! Don't fall back when you've just moved forward...be strong boy!_

Toorima bucked forward, the pain of his face hitting the ground went unregistered. All he could see was the beautiful, soft body of his beloved...flashes of a sight he would never want to witness again...a man, cradling her body, crying over it and caressing it in way that only _he_ should have. And her blood...blood that this man had spilt...her life...ended by this creature. This shadow that had no face or name.

"Tomoe." He whispered again, "Why?"

His love reached up and stabbed this man's cheek. A symbol...his only clue and yet, an invisible one he couldn't see.

He grit his teeth, "I will find him, Tomoe. I will find him...and kill him."

Toorima forced his tired body up from the ground and back to his cot, not bothering to wipe the blood from his back as he fell asleep, dreaming of nothing but of a beautiful woman. He never woke up when the form in the corner moved...nor did he awaken when that same form towered over him, watching and studying. They remained like that for nearly two hours, one sleeping, and the other watching until finally the intruder turned away and moved to the shelf, removing on of the many items.

"Sorry, my friend," the form whispered, "But you're becoming distracted. I need to turn your focus back to the task at hand. See you soon, I hope."

And with that, the figure exited the cavern whistling a light tune as he stepped out into the dark night. Looking up at the star lit sky, the figure smiled brightly, patting the small item in his robe pocket.

"Tomorrow will be a good day."

* * *

_

* * *

(Looking around at the swarms of angry readers)...uh...heh heh...(coughs lightly/nervously)...let's finish this quickly. No excuse. Not really. However, for a bit of clarification, those of you who were expecting a long fight scene, sorry, but I decided against it at the last minute. I don't know why, but I just thought that only five chapters into the story and already Toorima and Battousai are dueling it out? That's a "no go" in my books. Just be patient, my friends, your fight is coming._

_**THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!**_

_**WATCH OUT FOR MY NEXT CHAPTER! AND PLEASE ENJOY YOUR SPRING BREAK! STAY SAFE, I WANNA SEE ALL MY READERS BACK AND UNHARMED!**_


	6. Chapter Six

**The Guardian**

**_By: Wildfire Sky_**

_Go ahead and say it. I'm irresponcible. I can admit it when I do something wrong, and keeping you guys waiting is a wrong thing. However, I don't neglect you totally out of choice, I do have many other things to do, important things, that get in the way of my writing. Enjoy and R&R!_

**The Guardian**

**_Chapter Six

* * *

_**

The boy curled up in the back corner of the spacious tent, his unseeing eyes darting every which way. Although his world was doused in total darkness, his mind continued to tell him that he could still see...that he was still the normal child he'd always been. Blind? There was no way. No way his life could be ruined so easily. He could still see...if he could just open his eyes...

"What are you doing, huh?" A hand lightly brushed over the boy's forehead, wiping the tiny beads of sweat from his brow. The boy instinctively flinched away, cowering further into the darkness. There was a low chuckle and a rustle of clothing.

"My, you are an interesting creature..." Suddenly a hand wrapped around the boy's face, heaving him to his feet. Hot breath rolled over the boy in waves as he struggled to escape his assailant. "You're strong too...a beautiful creature that's wasted on society, don't you think?"

Confusion settled in to the boy's mind, his brow knitting together. _Wasted on society...?_

Instantly, all rational thought was torn from his mind as the rough, slimy feel of a tongue ran up his cheek. His struggles increased with renewed ferocity, trying to break this man's hold.

Arms wrapped around him, a pair of lips descending onto his. Instinctively, the boy snapped at the flesh, drawing a surprised cry as the man dropped him to the floor. The taste of blood in his mouth, the boy crawled away, searching desperately for the exit.

A hand grabbed his ankle, roughly pulling the child back and flipping him over onto his back. "Damn _brat_..." The boy fell still as the cool kiss of a blade tickled his skin, a heavy weight settling over his thin frame. The hand returned, brushing his hair from his face, only this time, the boy couldn't move.

"That's right...calm down..."

The lips were back again, caressing his unresponsive body.

"I'm not going to do anything you won't like...trust me..."

Finally, as the hand trailed down the boy's stomach and grasped his trousers, the child spoke, his voice meek and strained.

"Stop it."

The hand froze, the body over his tensing, "What did you just say?"

The boy took a deep breath before repeating himself. "I said..._stop it_..."

There was a deep throated chuckled, the blade pressing down further, "What makes you think I'll listen to some brat like _you_? Yusan-sama placed _me_ in charge of you, and that means I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, understand?" The sting of a slap punctuated the words, "I said..._understand_?"

Defiantly, the boy shook his head, glaring blindly up at the man on top of him, "You are youkai...go back to hell..."

The blows that flowed were quick and merciless, never pausing long enough for the boy to recover. With each slap, each connection of bone and flesh, the man grunted happily, his pleasure more than obvious as it pressed up against the boy's stomach, causing his to wince in disgust.

"Oh, you bad boy..." The blows stopped, "You see what you made me do? I didn't want to hurt you, but you were just so bad!"

This time, when he was kissed, the boy could not respond, his body beaten beyond response. He could only lie there, bleeding and moaning as his tattered articles of clothing were ripped from his body and tossed away. It was too sudden, the feel of flesh on hot flesh, a suddenness that left the boy quivering uncontrollably. The man rose up slightly, his breathing heavier and more excited, droplets of sweat falling from his skin and onto his captive's.

"I suggest you relax...it can be much less painful if you do..."

Squeezing his blind eyes shut, the boy prepared himself for the pain and violation that was about to be forced upon him...and then, it happened...

"_What_ is going _on_ here?"

* * *

"Ieeeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhh!"

"Sanouske Sagara! If you don't stop moving, you'll only make your injuries worse!"

"Well it _hurts_ damn it! Why can't you be more gentle?"

"Why can't you stay out of trouble? It's almost an everyday occurrence!"

Kenshin smiled at the scene before him, Sano and Megumi once again at odds with each other, locked in a battle of lung capacity. At the moment, it looked to Kenshin as though the entire ordeal would end in a stalemate until, that is, Megumi gave his broken arm a vicious twist. The scream that ripped through the air caused even Kenshin to wince.

"_That hurt!_" he half-screamed, glaring up at the doctor from his prone position on the bed. Powerless to do much more, Sano resorted to taking out his frustrations on innocent ear drums and mattresses. Yet, being the experienced doctor she was, Megumi soundly ignored each of his outbursts or countered them with her own sharp reply.

"I warned you didn't I?" she questioned, matching his glare with her own, "Maybe next time you'll listen to me."

Sano opened his mouth to reply, but quickly quashed what ever he was going to say, opting for a meek, "But it still hurt..."

Rolling her eyes, Megumi turned away, absentmindedly adjusting the bottles on her shelving. It was all she could do to keep herself busy and not interrogate Sano on the events that happened to place him in her care, but the more she tried to avoid the conversation, the more tempting it became. It wasn't very often that Sanouske came to her with enough injuries to make it look like he'd been in a war, and when he did, it usually meant that there was trouble on the home front.

"So, Sanouske, did you read the paper this morning?" she said, trying to make light conversation, "The government is trying to decide whether to institute martial law in Tokyo in the wake of the terrorist attacks."

Sano snorted; glaring at his injured arm as if blaming it for the position he was in, "Damn, woman, you can be ignorant at times."

Megumi whirled around, her eyes narrow, "I was just telling you what I know Sagara! If you're so intelligent on the inner workings of the law, why don't you educate me?"

"I'd rather not." Sano hefted his body up from the cot, a painful grimace crossing his face. Megumi instantly rushed forward, placing her hands on his hard chest, but Sano waved her away, never fully making eye contact. "All you need to know is that these weren't terrorist attacks."

Megumi frowned in confusion. "If they weren't terrorist attacks...then what were they?"

But Sano turned away, limped out of the room and the clinic into the streets. He didn't want to talk about it, that much was evident...but that didn't mean he had to push her away like that. Megumi frowned to herself before going back to the medicine, angrily restocking the shelves. Sano could be so selfish sometimes! It didn't matter that she was worried sick about him! All he cared about was being the tough, brave protector of the group, when it was clear that that was Kenshin's job. Her hands slowed to a stop, her shoulders slumping in defeat as she leaned her head against the shelf.

"Sano..." she whispered, "Why can't you let Kenshin do what he does best? Why do you always have to prove that you're better...when you're not? Why can't you see that?"

"Because Sano does not wish to, that he does not."

Megumi jerked away from the shelves in surprise, turning to stare at the silent man in surprise. "Oh, Kenshin! You scared me for a moment...I...I completely forgot you were here."

A gentle smile broke out on Kenshin's face as he stepped into the examining room, closing the shoji behind him. "Gomen-nasai, Megumi-sama. I didn't mean to."

Megumi smiled, crossing her arms over her chest, "I suppose you'll never lose the assassin in you, will you Kenshin?"

The red-haired samurai paused at the comment, his face falling. "I want to, Megumi-dono, that I do...but it will be a hard task, if not impossible."

Megumi smiled at him softly, before turning away with a small shake of her head. "It's not as hard as you make it out to be, Sir Ken. Everybody can change...and whether or not that's for the best is up to them. When people say it's hard to change, they don't realize that there's at least one person in this world that's willing to help them." She looked up and over at him. "Lucky for you, Kenshin...you have four."

Kenshin's brow furrowed. "Every time you and Kaoru-dono get involved with my past, something horrible happens to one or all of you. That is why I'd rather deal with things myself."

"And by doing that, you make it harder to care about you."

The statement was merely a whisper, but Kenshin's ears easily caught it and his head snapped up in surprise. Hard to care about him? They were like family to each other...did she mean that because he refused to talk to them about his past, they felt like he was shutting them out?

Kenshin set his face, stepping up behind Megumi and grabbing her shoulders, forcing the slim woman to turn and face him. He gave her shoulders a light, comforting squeeze. "I'm not shutting you out Megumi-dono...I just don't want to see any of you hurt."

Megumi shrugged off his hands. "Then you shouldn't worry about us so much, Kenshin. We are quite capable of handling ourselves. In all honestly, I would prefer it if you talked to Kaoru than me. I'm just here as support...for both of you."

"You shouldn't waste your time on me, that you should not, Megumi-dono." Kenshin mumbled, backing away from her and lowering his eyes. "No good will come of it."

"Kenshin."

The samurai paused at the door. "I'll be back this evening." He silently slipped from the room and out of the clinic, beginning a slow walk away from downtown Tokyo and towards the surrounding woodlands. They were nearly an hour away from Kaoru's dwelling, which was already situated on the outskirts of the main city, so the walk would be a long one, adding to that his pace, and Kenshin didn't calculate his return until evening time.

* * *

The edge of the woods loomed up in front of him as he approached the outer limits of the city, ignoring the calling of brothel women that lurked on the streets trying to reel in customers to their house of sinful pleasures. How many times had he been tempted to enter there? Come just inside the doorstep before _she_ appeared in his mind, forcing him to turn away in shame and trump back to the city.

"Kenshin!"

He froze, turning anxiously as one of the young women peeled herself from the small crowd of prostitutes and headed towards him, a tiny smile on her face. Kenshin took an involuntary step back, looking around cautiously for any familiar faces. Thankfully, this street happened to be empty of travelers, the city walkers sticking to the main road and shying away from the brothel.

The young woman stopped in front of Kenshin at a respectful distance, clasping her hands behind her back as she stared up at him with a smile. "Hello again, Kenshin. Do you remember me?"

Kenshin racked his brain as he stared down at her. The woman was young...probably younger than Kaoru by only a year or two, her body slim and tight, except at her chest where she'd filled out quite nicely, but that was something every brothel girl had. What was of real interest to Kenshin was her face...her young, innocent face. Big, bright green eyes stared out at him beneath full lashes, her smile beaming and wide as she waited for a response. It was then, as her smile wavered in confusion, that it finally hit him.

"Atara...dono?"

The smile was back in an instant as she launched herself at Kenshin, wrapping her arms around his neck as she stood on tip toe to reach him. "You _do_ remember me!"

Kenshin blinked, hugging her back awkwardly before releasing her and holding her at arms length. "What are you doing in a place like this?"

"In a brothel?" Atara laughed lightly, "Because it's safer here than where you left me. Kyoto isn't kind to little girls like me, Ken-san."

Kenshin frowned deeply, pinned her with a hard stare. "Atara...I told you to stay with that family in Kyoto. You had a chance for a good life with them."

Atara gaffed. "You call that a _life_? Kenshin, I'm free-born...no mother, no father, and a spirit for traveling. What makes you think that I could stand to be with that stuffy family for one minute?"

"Atara..."

"I tried, Ken-san! I really did!" Atara stepped back, rubbing her shoulder and blushing. "But I couldn't help myself. I missed you and I missed moving from place to place. That family...they wanted to 'prepare me' to be a housewife for some snobby old man who couldn't get a girl on his own accord. They told me that my job was to clean, cook, and make a family, that's it...and that's bullshit."

Kenshin winced at the harsh words. "I thought that you'd want to live there...I only did what I thought was best, that I did."

Atara smiled and nodded. "I know...but your problem was that you never bothered to ask _me_ what I wanted. You placed a little girl with a pack of strangers at the age of ten...I was...scared to say the least. After a few months I ran away and ended up here." She locked eyes with Kenshin. "You should have told me that they were still after me, Kenshin...you should have told me before I found out on my own."

Kenshin lowered his eyes. "They found you?"

"Attacked me as I was coming into the city limits. Never saw them before it was too late." Atara shrugged, "But these women...they heard them and helped me. I was indebted to them and been here for about five years now."

Atara looked over her shoulder. "They're my family now..."

Kenshin huffed lightly, glancing at the women that lounged around outside the two story building. Every once in awhile, a man would venture by and allow himself to be dragged inside, a sloppy smile on his face. His frown deepened as a woman turned towards him, blowing him a kiss and calling out to Atara to bring him inside.

"I would rather you found a different family...or at least let me find you a new one."

Atara paused in her wave at the woman, setting Kenshin with a cold glare. "I think we both can admit that your helping me led to this situation in the first place, am I right?"

Kenshin stiffened, his eyes narrowing. "Everyone makes mistakes, Atara...I wish you'd allow for mine. What happened to you won't happen again, I swear it."

"You swore then too, Kenshin." Atara back away from him, her smile thin, "I'll see you around Kenshin...maybe. If you're every lonely or anything like that, stop by alright? I'll see if I can get you a good deal or something."

Kenshin frowned. "That won't be necessary, that it won't."

Atara shrugged again. "Suit yourself, Ken-san. Oh, and one more thing...I'm not like these other women. They respect my choices and don't force me to sell myself." She winked at him. "I did what you suggested and I'm still pure...I'm only here to stay out of the light and out of danger."

Kenshin nodded slowly. "That's good Atara, that it is..."

"It's better than the past, Ken-san...much better."

* * *

Toorima sat in the tree's shadow, basking in the heat he allowed himself to indulge in. Despite the fact that the sun still reigned over the afternoon sky, there were enough trees in the forest to allow him to enjoy the day every once in a while. He couldn't help himself. Yes he liked the dark...yes, the sunlight scared him, but he still needed it. He needed to know what life was like outside of his cave and know what was happening in the world and whether or not he needed to interfere in some matters.

In fact, it was he who turned the tide of the last diplomatic election by taking out a few key players in the race, players that threatened to destroy his very livelihood.

Toorima leaned back against the tree trunk, closing his eyes in content. He took this time to plot and scheme, should the need arise, and today he was doing exactly that, plotting and scheme against his current target.

Battousai.

Toorima clenched his teeth at the thought. Although there'd only been one short confrontation between them, the interaction had left him frustrated and angry at both himself and the Battousai. That damn man had looked so calm even though his only weapon was in _his_ possession. And despite that fact, Battousai was still carrying on as if nothing had happened! Was the man really so overconfident that he thought he could defeat Toorima with his own hands?

Toorima frowned, opening his eyes and glaring at the forest around him. What's worse is that he didn't kill off the Battousai when he had the chance. He'd been too anxious and giddy and allowed something as pathetic as police sirens to scare him off. Even with the police coming, they were too slow...Battousai could have been dead, his 'family' arranging his funeral, by now, but no...He had to get cold feet at the last minute.

Spitting viciously at the ground, Toorima pulled back his hood to rub at his red eye as he stood, tossing the cloak back into place. He need to get back, his captive was waiting for him.

A sound to his left caught his attention, and he looked up, quickly scanning the surrounding area. His eyes narrowed dangerously, his gloved hand hovering towards the concealed blade in his cloak as he moved through the brush silently, cautiously skirting around any beams of sunlight that happened to break through the thick canopy. Whoever it was, they were getting too close to his home.

Concealing himself behind a wide truck, he paused, concentrating on the strong waves of ki that flowed through the forest. Toorima's face darkened evil. It was him...Battousai...out for an evening stroll through the woods. He watched, keeping his ki hidden, as the Battousai glanced around before settling against a tree and closing his eyes. Toorima continued to watch carefully, watching for any sign that the Battousai might have detected him...but it was as Toorima was thinking about approach, that he noticed the steady rise and fall of the older man's chest.

Toorima grinned. The opportunity couldn't be any better...once quick slice across the throat and everything would be finished. He could go back to taking out political nuisances and stashing away his earnings. Toorima completely unsheathed his weapon and came around the tree, and as he found himself standing over the sleeping form of Kenshin, raising his blade to make the kill...

Toorima stopped. Dropping his arm and stepping away. What the hell was he doing? When had he degraded himself to this level? His desperation to kill off the Battousai was getting out of hand. The opportunity to fight and kill the Battousai was too good to pass up, or waste. However, he wasn't a fool...the Battousai was strong and he needed to even things out a bit.

He grinned viciously. Tonight...he would do it tonight...and the Battousai would see dawn in a whole new picture.

* * *

_Updated! Huzzah! Oh, and by the way, look forward to the summer. No school, no applications, no interruptions. It's the best time of the season for writers in school because now, my only assignments are entertaining you. And I plan on making an A+ this semester._

_A/N: The story behind this new character will be explained in later chapters so be patient, I don't randomly put people in and don't give them a purpose (even if it's minimal and you kill them off later), because that's just bad writing._


	7. Chapter Seven

**_The Guardian_**

**_By: Wildfire Sky_**

_Alright, go ahead and say it...you're a horrible person Wildfire! What the hell is wrong with you? Don't you know the meaning of UPDATE? Yes I do, but here's the REAL kicker...do I have TIME? Yes and no. It's my own fault for booking my schedule so tightly and the fans have to suffer for it. I'm sorry, but once my schedule blows over, I'll get back on track._

_**The Guardian**_

**_Chapter Seven

* * *

_**

The young boy sat curled in a corner, listening warily as the newcomer towered over his keeper, eyes narrow and lip curled into a snarl as he hissed harshly at the would be rapist. The other man simply stood there patiently, taking the verbal beating as if it were nothing more than a casual conversation. Meanwhile, the boy was shaking like a puppy, each snapped word he flinched in fear, remembering his own abuse, both physical and mental, at the hands of his uncle.

"...you dishonor your family! These actions are disgusting and inexcusable in my eyes. What's the matter with you? Answer me!"

Finally, the boy's attacker spoke. "Akoshin-san, there is no excuse for my actions and wish for your forgiveness."

The boy started. He thought that his _attacker_ was Akoshin, but apparently, the man was no more than a lackey from the abuse he was willingly taking. It was almost a relief to be attacked by a lowlife like him...at least it meant that he actually mattered to someone. That was more than he could say for most of his pathetic life with his uncle, always stashed away in the barn or the storage room should guests ever arrive, and he was quick to learn that emerging for even a moment held dire consequences. He had the scars to prove it.

Akoshin's voice snapped again, "Get out of here, Toshan, and do not return until you've found both your humanity and your masculinity."

There was a short length of silence before the boy heard the distinct sounds of footfalls and the rustle of fabric. He assumed that the attacker had left, but remained in his corner, listening desperately for any signs of Akoshin. He remained still for minutes on end, too fearful to move from his safe spot, his hands clutching the rags that made up his so called clothing. A cool breeze ran through the tent, causing the boy to shiver, goose bumps springing out over his skin.

"Oi, boy..."

The boy jerked away sharply, a cry escaping from his mouth as he clawed at the tent sides seeking escape. What kind of man could move without making a sound? Not even a rustle of clothing...just...silence. It hit him suddenly, only one type of creature could do something like that...an assassin. Fear gripped him in a tight squeeze, forcing the air from his lungs and causing his heart to slow to a near stop.

"Please, don't hurt me, onegai!" he cried out, curling into a tight, shivering ball, "I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt me!"

There was a low chuckle. "My name is Sai Akoshin, a member of the government and your new guardian. What's your name?"

The boy remained silent, glaring blindly in the direction of the man's voice. This time, there was the sound of movement as the man came closer, the boy could almost feel Akoshin's breath on his face, a stench of rice and fish wafting into his nostrils. Fingers gently ran over his blind eyes, and the boy flinched away again, frowning.

"I said, don't touch me!" he snarled, his body tensing as adrenaline rushed into his body, "Just get away from me, I don't need a guardian."

Akoshin laughed, "You don't have much of a choice in the matter, young man. In fact, you don't have any whatsoever, so I suggest you get used to my presence and persistence. Now then, so we might get to know each other better, let's start with your name."

The boy stiffened, "My name is..."

* * *

"It doesn't matter _who_ you are, I can't let you in, sir! Now turn back and return to where ever you came from."

Tusume glowered at the guard in frustration, agitated that his progress was once again blocked by the weak. How dare someone as miniscule and pathetic as a guard try to push him in a direction that he had no reason to go? Obviously, the man was not aware of whom he was speaking with and the impact he held on his life.

The guard stared at Tusume awhile longer, his hand on the pistol at his waist. "Sir, please turn around and go or I'll have to escort you out myself."

Tusume stiffened at these disrespectful words, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "You will not lay one hand on me!" He adjusted the kimono around his shoulders huffily and pulled out a sealed, folded paper, handing it to the guard. "Just deliver this message then and I will be on my way."

The guard took it carefully, his eyes untrusting. "I'll have it delivered, sir."

Tusume stared at him from the corner of his eye, "I'd like to see it delivered..."

"Not possible, sir..."

"Oh for the love of..." Tusume threw up his hands, turning on his heel with a snarl, "Fine then, give me the damn thing and go on with whatever the hell you were doing! Can't count on _you _to do anything now can I?" With a flare of his kimono, Tusume stormed away, his shoulders stiff. Always met with obstacle after obstacle...and what's worse, he couldn't do his job _because_ of it.

Tusume shook his head angrily. "Damn him! Damn that Toorima!" He hadn't heard from Toorima in days and he had no idea whether or not the man's mission had been a success. He wanted to know..._needed_ to know. Nothing grated his skin more than not knowing what was going on around him. For the time was he spending up all night, wondering if the mission was a hit or a bust...it was beginning to unnerve him. The thought embarrassed Tusume, his face turning red to the roots of his hair. Never in his _life_ had he felt nervous, like at any given moment he'd be attacked. He was a first class samurai...a soldier during the Revolution, a man known to be steel in battle. But ever since he'd gotten mixed up with Battousai and Toorima, he couldn't relax.

And why that was, he couldn't figure out and that only served to disturb him more. Tusume slowly walked down the cobblestone sidewalk that lined the street running perpendicular to the large building that housed the family of one of the richest men in Japan and former assistant to a daimyo of the Tokugawa Era. Although he'd lost some privileges since the revolution, sensei Aki Gortu still had some influence in many circles of the upper class, influences that he shamelessly used to worm his way into government office, albeit a worthless one.

Director of Civilian Progresses was an office that few, if any, have heard of. He had no say in official affairs, save for the occasional reminder that the population of the Japanese race had not been wiped off the face of the planet yet. Gortu simply sat in his plain, but large office behind a desk that took up nearly half the room, reading the newspaper and praying that one of his many enemies might have bit it. Needless to say, he was quite happy when top man Genze had disappeared and was presumed dead, in fact, Gortu had invited Tusume over to his office for drinks at the news.

"_Things are finally looking up!"_

Tusume frowned deeply. Things weren't looking up anymore...no, not anymore. It seemed that with Genze's disappearance, everything had gone to hell. Politicians were scared shitless, refusing to leave the 'safety' of their homes, surrounding themselves by guards if they ever did leave, thus preventing the necessary work from being done. Even the public were being terrorized by these events, trading was down, the police were set lose, arresting and detaining any human being that looked suspicious, house raids, riots...no one was safe. And worse of all, Tusume couldn't help but grin; he had no idea who was doing it. Sure, he suspected Toorima, but what would be the purpose of that? His mission was to kill the Battousai, not kidnap politicians.

Tusume walked down the clearing, dusk lit streets, ignoring the people around him, tried of interacting with narrow minded, rude people...tired of obstacles. He wanted nothing more than to go home and think about all that has happened. He stared at the ground, tuning out the agitated exclamations from the few people he forced out of his way or simply ran into. The clattering of hooves caused him to move aside, but he never broke his stride.

"Tusume-san?" A light voice called, "Is that you?"

Tusume looked up and turned, watching as the carriage clomping up the street slowed to a stop beside him, a bearded man leaning out of the window. He wore a bright grin of perfect teeth, his neatly trimmed goatee spreading with the smile that seemed to reach his light, green eyes. The auburn hair that topped his head was blow into disarray by the breeze from the carriage movement. Tusume nodded at him approaching the open side door, accepting the silently offered ride. He smiled across at his friend as he settled into the plush seat, the carriage beginning to move again.

"Gortu-sensei...a pleasure as usual."

Gortu's grin grew as he winked at Tusume, "You looked pretty pathetic walking along like that, my friend. Dare I ask why?"

Tusume smiled, "Let's just say this hasn't been a good day. Speaking of which, I have something for you." He reached into his kimono and removed the folded slip of paper. "Here's the letter that you need."

Gortu's eyes lit up at the sight of the paper, his hand lashing out to snatch it from Tusume's hands. "Excellent! I've been waiting _too_ long for this moment to come. Have you read it yet?"

"Of course not," Tusume said with a shake of his head, "It's your letter and I want nothing to do with it."

Gortu laughed, "But you have everything to do with it! After all, if it weren't for you pressing whatever throats you did, this never could have been possible. So, how did you do it?"

Tusume cast the man a sour look, "Actually, these kidnapping have nothing to do with me...at least not as far as I know. Are you going to read that thing or not?"

Grinning and laughing, Gortu quickly opened the letter and began to read. His face slowly changed from utter happiness to downright fury as his eyes swept over the characters lined down the parchment. Angrily, he crumpled the paper, throwing it to the floor of the carriage and sending a curling glare Tusume's way. He reached up, banging against the roof of the carriage.

"Stop here!"

The carriage ground to an instant halt. The dust settling to the ground again as the two men stared at each other. Gortu jerked his head towards the door, his sunny expression now filled with anger.

"Get the hell out."

Tusume couldn't help but smile. "Something not to your liking, Gortu-sensei?"

Gortu snarled at him. "Watch it, Tusume-san, you don't know who you're messing with. I _will_ find out if you had anything to do with this...this..._event_, and if you do, I swear I'll make you regret it. Now get out of my carriage."

Tusume folded his arms, "Just what exactly did the letter say?"

Gortu stiffened, his eyes narrowing. "I've been summoned to appear before my superiors. Apparently they suspect that I'm somehow connected to both a local yukuza and these kidnappings...no doubt they think I killed the pig Genze too! Damn it all, how could they trace me back to the yukuza?"

"Perhaps you should learn to cover your tracks better, my friend," Tusume said with a laugh, "Then maybe this wouldn't have happened."

Gortu's face contorted, the only warning Tusume had, before he lunged across the carriage, his finger extended towards Tusume's throat. Tusume quickly dodged his hands, swatting them away with obvious annoyance.

"Calm yourself, Gortu-sensei, you're being irrational."

"I am not being _irrational_!" Gortu hissed settling back, his face flushed. "Damn it, I'm not being irrational at all! I've been summoned, _baka_! Summoned! You...you had something to do with this, didn't you? Admit it!"

Tusume sighed, opening the carriage door and dropping to the ground. He turned back, staring at the seething Gortu. "We will talk again when you've calmed down, alright? You know how to find me."

Gortu snorted, leaning back, his face covered in shadow as he watched with baleful eyes. "You can count on our meeting again, Tusume-san. Sayonara."

Tusume bowed and closed the door gently, standing back and watching as the carriage disappeared down the street and around the corner. It seemed that Toorima's mettling was affecting more than just some local yukuza.

And it was quite entertaining.

* * *

Kenshin sat across from Karou and Yahiko, sipping gently at the tea cup held in his hands. He hadn't touched his meal yet of fish and rice, a meal he'd made himself, instead content to watch Karou eat, the silence dragging between them both relaxing and pressuring. Ever since the attack by Toorima three days ago, the conversations between himself and Karou had begun to lose their appeal. For the first time he could remember since being with her, his frustration levels had gone to the point of outright arguing with her. Usually a bit a sweet talking or just holding her without speaking a word would calm her down and force her to see things from his standpoint, but now...now...

"Oi, Kenshin?"

Kenshin blinked, his eyes sliding over to Yahiko who sat with chopsticks poised at his mouth, an eyebrow arched. "Are you alright? You looked kind of...lost..."

Kenshin forced a smile, "Do I now? My apologies, Yahiko, I was thinking that I was."

Karou looked up at this, her eyes hard and accusing, "About what, Kenshin? How to escape and find Toorima?"

Kenshin felt his anger flare again. She was starting...that accusing glare was evidence of it. Karou was utterly convinced that Kenshin would try and sneak out to find Toorima and no doubt get killed in the process. Having no idea where this thought had come from, he had no choice but to endure the initial attack on his morals before attempting to quell her ridiculous fears. The last time he'd left was to assist the police in capturing a serial rapist. Of course, there was little to no danger, and in the end, Kenshin's help wasn't needed in the arrest, but when he'd come home the next night, Karou was standing there at the entrance dressed only in her nightgown and looking like she was ready to kill. Unfortunately, for him, the ground was very cold in the winter.

"Iie, Karou-dono, I am trying to sneak out again..."

Karou simply huffed into her teacup, causing the warm steam to splash over her face. Her eyes were closed as she sipped, refusing to look in his direction. Yahiko looked between the two for only a moment before declaring that he was full and was going to practice, leaving Kenshin and Karou facing each other in uncomfortable silence.

Clearing his throat, Kenshin stood, picking up his bowl of fish and rice, "Well now, Karou-dono, I will get started on the dishes, that I will."

As he reached for Karou's bowl, her hand gently fell on his own. "Kenshin, can I ask you something?"

Kenshin froze, his eyes sliding closed at the electric shock her hands were sending through him, "Of course, Karou-dono, ask me anything."

Karou took a deep breath, licking her lips, "Why don't you trust me?"

It felt like Kenshin had been hit with his own sword, the air rushed from his lungs and his heartbeat skipped. Trust...it was something he was still coping with when it came to humans. After being alone for most of his life and having every type of person take a swing at him at some point, aiming to kill, well such events didn't instill rousing trust towards mankind. Sanouske, Megumi, Yahiko...Karou...they were all helping him learn to trust again. It was a slow process, his past continually pushing him back for every move he made forward. And now, here was Karou, asking him why he didn't trust...try as he might, a reply just couldn't form in his mind.

Karou sat there, watching Kenshin stare off at some point just over her shoulder. She knew his struggles, and deep down, she knew the question wasn't fair, but with everything that was happening in both her life and the lives of everyone in Tokyo, such a thing needed to be answered. So she waited, the silence stretching between them. Outside, she could hear bells tolling and carts moving down the street as vendors and shop keepers went home for the night. As the minutes dragged on, she felt her patience slow ebb away. Everytime Kenshin didn't want to talk about something, no matter _how_ important it was to her, he would go into withdrawal, turning into a silent statue that only came to life once it benefited him.

Sighing loudly, Karou took her hand from Kenshin and, placing both down on top of the table, pushed her body up from her cushion. Turning towards Kenshin, she stared at him, watching for a reaction of any kind, yet he remained frozen, his arm held bent from after she'd removed it, hand still poised in the air. Her eyes narrowed at the sight before her. "Fine then..." she said, snatching up her bowl from Kenshin's reach. "This entire ordeal has thrown everything apart and you're _really_ not helping me."

At this Kenshin's gaze fell back on her, his lips tightening. "Karou..."

"Oh no you don't," Karou snapped, holding up a hand. "Don't you try and talk me out of worrying about you. You've lived with me for years, Kenshin, _years_. And it's taken you so long to tell me even half of what you're thinking all the time, and now, with Toorima, and the murders...things have gone down hill. You don't talk to me anymore...you leave me in the dark...Sano hardly knows what's going on, and you two are always together..." Karou could feel tears forming behind her eyes and she scrubbed at them, angry with herself for getting so emotional over a little thing like this.

_But it's not so little..._

No, it wasn't. Her feeling towards Kenshin only made things more difficult. Something had happened to him and she didn't know what. He'd come back late a few days ago, saying that he'd fallen asleep in the woods, but he was keeping something from Karou, something that she'd tried to pry from him with no avail. He'd simply told her that she should get some rest...he _always_ said that. Sometimes, she could tell he was really worried about her, but others it seemed like he was trying to avoid her questions, or just her. Glancing at Kenshin through reddened eyes, she locked gazes with him.

Kenshin stared at her a moment longer before bowing his head. "Karou...I do trust you, that I do...but things have become more complicated and it would be better if you didn't worry about it."

Karou strode over, staring up at his slightly taller form, "Worry about _what_ Kenshin? Toorima? I don't care about him anymore!"

Kenshin reached down, clasping her hands in his, "That's precisely the problem, that it is. Assassins do not give up so easily and you would be a fool to believe it."

Karou blinked, her head tilting as she tried to formulate the words. "What did you just call me?"

Laughing, Kenshin brought her hands to his lips, kissing them gently in an act that stole Karou's breath. "Do not take offense, Karou-dono, onegai. I meant nothing by it. You just need to know that Toorima is still out there, no doubt waiting for the right time to strike again. It's a tactic that I've used many times before...wait for the target to drop their guard and then move in for the final strike." He shrugged one shoulder, "In all honesty, if he wanted to kill me on that first night, he could have done so easily...quite easily actually..."

Karou frowned, "Kenshin, you're the best samurai..."

"Not anymore Karou." Kenshin interrupted, "That much is quite obvious, not only this time, but many times before. Time and again, it's been shown to me that my skills are being more and more dismal in these days. I can not defeat something stronger that me, that I can't."

A heavy silence fell over them for a moment, Kenshin standing with his arms at his side and head bowed, Karou watching him stare at the floor. Briefly she wondered when he'd become so pitiful, but the thought came back with a vicious rebound. The same could be said of her. Any other time, she would not have hesitated to force her way into Kenshin's affairs whether he wanted it or not, helping him in anyway she could. Many times, it benefited everyone, others, she admitted to herself; she caused more harm than good. However, she only did it in Kenshin's best interests...and maybe her own at times.

Karou slowly extended her fingers towards him, gently brushing his fiery bangs from his face. Kenshin started at her touch, raising his eyes to her face, drowning in her deep orbs. A smile crossed her face at his deep gaze and she stepped closer until their bodies were only centimeters apart. She stared up at him, tracing the lines of his face. Hesitantly, she brought her other hand up to pull on Kenshin's face bringing it closer. The ex-warrior shivered slightly at the closeness, his eyes hooded.

"Karou-dono...what are you doing?"

Karou shook her head, and quickly brushed her lips against Kenshin's cheek. Kenshin inhaled sharply, trying and failing to keep from pressing his face closer. He wrapped his arms around her. "Why did you do that?"

Laughing dryly, Karou shrugged, "Because it knew it was the only thing you'd trust me to do...right?"

Blinking, Kenshin stepped back, holding her at arms length to examine her. Shaking his head, Kenshin gathered her back into his arms, tucking her head beneath his chin and slowly rocking as he stared wistfully over her. "Karou, I want you to understand something, that I do..."

"And what's that Kenshin?" she asked, her voice muffled against his chest, noting the absence of an honorary.

He paused, gathering his thoughts, "...I...don't mean to make you worry as much as I do, that I don't. But I sometimes it's necessary in order to keep you out of harms way." His chest vibrated with a chuckle, "Even though you throw yourself into it just to make _me_ worry. However...if it really does hurt you so much whenever I don't talk to you..." He sighed, his arms tightening, "Then...then I will try better, that I will."

Karou frowned against him, moving her head to look up. "Try better to do what?"

Kenshin smiled down at her, and instead of answering immediately, he bent down, pressing his lips against her's briefly, and as he pulled back, he whispered gently into her ear. "I will try to love you better, Karou...that I promise."

Karou beamed, squeezing her eyes shut and laying against him again. "You promise?"

"I promise..."

* * *

_

* * *

Guess what...finally...after so many chapters the moment has arrived! Besides the fact that I'm building Kenshin and Karou's relationship, and forgive me if it was a bit too sudden in this chapter (I'm a little wired right now...actually, I have a screaming hangover so I think I did pretty good), but in the next chapter, Kenshin will have a little trouble with his eye sight after a midnight visit from Toorima. Thanks and enjoy!_

_**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**_

_**Look out for my next chapter!**_


	8. Chapter Eight

_**The Guardian**_

_**By: Wildfire Sky**_

_The next chapter coming at ya! I'm so happy with the responses I'm getting, and was even more pleased at the fact that someone actually thought my fic good enough to put into a C2! It's unfortunate my other fic Ante-Mortem hasn't, but they might be waiting for me to finish it...or get better at writing, whatever comes first I suppose. Enjoy and R&R!_

_**The Guardian**_

_**Chapter Eight

* * *

**_

Akoshin smiled gently at the blind, shaking child before him, a curious young creature that happened to fall into his lap. He reach out a hand, gently brushing aside the matted strands that covered half of the youngster's face, the hair plastered to his scalp from blood and dirt.

"We have much we must do to make you presentable, my young friend." Akoshin said softly. "First, we must find you a proper name, for as much as I enjoyed the vile term with which your uncle summoned you, to be under my care, a man must have a title worthy of a samurai."

The boy started at this, blindly staring at a spot three feet from Akoshin's face. "A samurai? I don't want to fight in any war!"

Akoshin laughed. "We will discuss that later. As for now, a suitable name...a strong name." The man paused in thought, staring at the young boy. "You will be known as Hikaru, for soon you will see light again and when you do, your training begins. Now come with me." He took the boy's hand, noticing the tension increase in his fragile muscles. "There's no need to be frightened of me, I'm your protector now and will do my duty to the best of my abilities, you have my word."

The now dubbed Hikaru slowly nodded, confusion etched across his face. He allowed himself to be lifted to his feet and led around like the pathetic blind child that he was. He would have given his right arm to be able to see again, even if it was only for a moment. The smells of smoke, body odor, and animal wastes surrounded him as he was lead through what he believed was the camp.

Loud, zealous voices sounded around him, bombarding his heightened hearing. He could tell the difference between Akoshin and the others easier than he would have imagined, the blindness seemed to increase the sensitivity of his other senses, making him agitated and jumpy.

"Your eagerness is unnecessary, my young friend..." Akoshin said in a low voice, "These people will not harm you as long as you are in my care, do you understand?"

The boy remained silent and Akoshin stopped. He felt the man's hands jerk from his grip and his head was suddenly whipped around as a fist connected with his jaw. Hikaru crumpled to the ground, horrified at the action. He thought that such unbidden acts that seemed to characterize his uncle would end with the protection of this new group he'd found himself in.

A hand clenched itself against his shirt, bodily lifting him from the ground until his toes barely touched the firm land. Hikaru clawed helplessly at the hands, helpless to stop the assault as his new master gave him a firm shake.

"You will learn to answer when I speak to you, Hikaru!" Akoshin snarled before lowering the stunned child to the ground again. "You will learn when there is a time to answer and a time to remain silent...you will learn how to make the silent shout to the heavens and quiet the noisy forever." Akoshin nudged the blind Hikaru into another shuffle, his hand on his shoulder. "Things will be different for you now, my young apprentice. If you thought your uncle was a terrible man, then you will grow to hate me as well. But know this, unlike your uncle, the pain that I inflict will make you stronger than you have ever been before."

Hikaru allowed himself a small smile. "You will, Akoshin-sama?"

There was a chuckle, the hand pressing a light squeeze on Hikaru's shoulder. "Just you wait and see. But first, a warm bath and food. Then, when you are rested, we shall begin."

"But, Akoshin-sama, how am I to train if I can't see?"

The elder warrior laughed again. "Hikaru, you must learn to make your handicaps your strength. If you can't see, use your ears. You will be surprised how loudly a man breathes, even when he is hiding." They turned again, and then there was a sound of flapping cloth. "And besides, you are not truly blind..."

Hikaru froze, his heart swelling with new hope. "I...I'm not?"

"Of course not. Were you truely blind, in your heart you would know it. You would not bother trying to look around and search for things. Your mind would tell you that your efforts are fruitless, however, in your case, you do search and that tells me that you don't know what your soul does."

Hikaru was forced into a sitting position on what felt like a smooth wooden floor. He heard the sound of sloshing water and of something dripping into that water. There were footsteps and shuffling, the sound of rustling clothing.

"Hikaru." Akoshin said from somewhere above. "This is Akara, my daughter."

Soft hands clasped his own, giving them a firm squeeze. "Hello, Hikaru-chan." Said a gentle voice, a voice that instantly made Hikaru feel safe and warm. "You are safe now with my father and me, so fear nothing as long as we are near." Her hands left his, running over the contours of his face. "You have a very strong face, Hikaru-chan...the face of a fighter."

"Will you bathe him?"

The hands dropped from his face. "Of course, father, whatever you ask. I'm sure that this blood will come away with the warm water."

"Good. Then dress and feed him before he returns to my tent." Akoshin sounds further away. "I must go and speak with our leader on certain matters; I leave him in your good care for now."

There was the sound of flapping again, signaling Akoshin's retreat. Hikaru remained still for a moment, straining to hear of any sounds or movement. For a long while he sat, patiently waiting for his bath to begin. He let out a loud yelp as someone tapped on his shoulder, Akara's voice coming from behind.

"Have you fallen asleep, Hikaru-chan? The bath is this way."

Hikaru frowned, struggling to his feet and groping blindly in front of him. "I can't see, Akara-sama. You have to show me the way."

Akara laughed gently. "Gomen, Hikaru-chan, but this time you must find your own way. I will give you a hint, though; it's in this same tent."

Taking a hesitant step forward, Hikaru reached out with his hands. "Akara-sama? Am I headed in the right direction?"

"Perhaps...search not with your eyes, Hikaru-chan, but with your mind. You'll find it easily enough."

Hikaru moved slowly about the room, letting out frustrated cries as his continuously ran into objects that bruised his ego more than his body. He ran his hand over each new object, measuring it's length to safely go around, only to run into something new. He tried crawling, but had nearly knocked himself unconscious. Then he tried bigger steps, allowing for more time to stop himself should his foot hit something, but that only resulted in numerous trips and falls. Finally, with one last frustrated cry, he stormed forward, angrily pushing aside objects and tables until he felt Akara's warm body in front of him.

"I can't do this, Akara-chan! It's too hard!"

Akara's hand took his as she laughed again, pulling them down until they touched warm liquid. He blinked his blind eyes rapidly trying to understand.

"But my dear, Hikaru..." Akara whispered, "I believe you _have_ done it."

* * *

Kenshin sat against his bedroom wall, his hands itching from missing the familiar feel of his sakabatou resting against his shoulders like it used to. Vaguely he wondered where and what Toorima was doing right now...whether or not he was planning another vicious attack on this once peaceful dojo. Kenshin found himself unable to relax now, with a mix of both Karou and Toorima, his nerve endings were fried beyond belief.

Running a hand through his hair, Kenshin released a shallow sigh. He didn't mind Karou's intrusion into his once solo lifestyle, but now that Toorima's reared his ugly face, he felt torn between going after Toorima directly and staying at the dojo to protect Karou and the others. In one hand, he could simply find Toorima, defeat him, and send him to jail where he belonged...in the other, he had his dedication to Karou...

Sighing again, Kenshin decided that he could do nothing either way if he was exhausted. Although it hadn't been long since Toorima's attack, Kenshin already felt drained of energy and, truth be told, he was already sleep deprived. Nightmares from the past had begun to haunt his dreams even before Toorima had entered his life.

The ex-hitokiri slid beneath the covers of his futon, his eyes instantly closing as soon as his head hit the pillow. He lulled his body into a relaxed state, telepathically checking the dojo for any sign, no matter how faint, of ki. There was a small hint of it, yet it came from Karou's room. No doubt, it was low because she was now fast asleep. Snuggling deeper beneath the sheets, Kenshin fell into a meditative sleep.

As soon as his breathing slowed, the shadow near the doorway, well out of the moonlight, shifted, rising into a standing position. Only his narrow red eye could be seen as he slowly and cautiously approached Kenshin, drawing the blade at his side. Toorima stood over the prone warrior, observing him silently, his head cocked to one side.

_You sleep too deeply for a hitokiri Battousai. That will be the death of you..._

Toorima raised his sword, holding it parallel to his body and aiming for his target's heart.

_I would love to see you suffer, but there is something else that has drawn my attention now..._

Toorima's eyes narrowed at the thought. His precious item...his treasure had been taken. The small mirror that held so many memories had disappeared and could not be found. It was unfortunate for Genze when he'd discovered the missing possession. By this time, the fish should be starting to nibble on what's left of his mutilated form.

_And I will get it back!_

Toorima drew in a deep breath, his eye gleaming with victory. This ends tonight, Battousai!

Suddenly, Kenshin's eyes snapped open, staring directly into the assassin's shocked face. "You're too slow to kill, Toorima."

Toorima blinked in surprise. "Battousai..."

Kenshin took his opportunity, knocking aside Toorima's blade and delivering a swift kick to the man's midsection. Toorima instantly curled over, a hand clasping his attacked stomach as he stumbled back. Kenshin attacked again, throwing his elbow down directly onto Toorima's spine. The assassin collapsed to the floor, his sword clattering away from his hands. He snatched at Kenshin's ankles as the smaller man dove for the weapon.

"That is not yours to take, Battousai!" he cried, heaving his weight back and dragging Kenshin towards him. "You will have to do more than throw a few punches to defeat me."

Kenshin whirled around, his foot lashing out and catching Toorima across his cheek. His hand still firmly latched onto Kenshin's ankle, Toorima rolled with the kick, his face snapping around to lessen the blow. Letting out a deep throated snarl, Toorima reached inside his robes, drawing his dagger. Kenshin barely had time to react before the blade was driven deep into his calf, eliciting a ragged cry from his lips. Toorima's own lips curled into a harsh snarl as he plunged the blade deeper into the bone and muscle.

"Kenshin? _Kenshin!_"

Both men turned at the sound of pounding footsteps. His eye narrowing to a mere slit, Toorima launched himself from on top of Kenshin, dashing over the moaning man and snatching up his sword. He quickly melted into the shadows; watching and waiting as the young Karou slammed open the door and rushed into the room.

"Kenshin!" she cried out at the sight of blood pooling around his leg, "Kenshin, what happened?"

Kenshin groaned, his hand coming down to clutch the immobilizing wound. Straight through the muscle, he couldn't operate effectively until it was healed. Which meant that he very well could die...and so could Karou. He jerked away as Karou bent down to touch him.

"Karou-dono!" he bit through clenched teeth. "Run! Get out! Toorima's here!"

Karou blinked in surprise before rocketing to her feet, her eyes darting all about. "Are you sure Kenshin? I can't just leave you here!"

"Yes you can!" Kenshin shouted, urging her with his voice to escape. "He'll kill you if you stay, now go!"

Karou looked down at him, panic filling her face. "But Kenshin, what about you?"

"I'll be fine..."

"I'm not going to leave you here..." Karou's breath hitched in her throat at the feel of a cold, merciless blade tickling her throat.

Toorima smirked against her cheek as he nuzzled close, glaring at Kenshin over her shoulders. "You know something, Battousai...she looks remarkably like Tomoe-san, don't you think? I'm sure you remember her..."

Kenshin's breath caught at the mention of his fallen love. Oh yes, he remembered Tomoe...he remembered her everytime he looked at Karou, everytime he actually felt at peace it seemed like a life he could have had with a woman who had brought out the blackness from his soul. But none of that mattered now...Tomoe was the past, and right now, he needed to concentrate on the present.

_Keep him distracted..._ "How do you know of Tomoe-dono, Toorima?" he asked, rising to a kneeling position, blood sluggishly flowing between his fingers. "There are very few who knew of her and surely they are dead by now, that they are."

Toorima snorted in contempt, his hood flaring momentarily. "I know a great deal about you and my dearest Tomoe...I know of how you murdered her and then buried her as if you really loved her!" Toorima's grip tightened around Karou. "You are a fool to think that such a hideous crime would not resurface...you should have known that justice would be brought..."

Kenshin frowned, struggled to his feet to face Toorima. The assassin took a step back, firmly keeping distance between himself and Kenshin. Kenshin winced slightly at the pressure on his knee, but gamely faced the assassin. "I have done no crime to Tomoe...yes, I killed her, but it was an accident."

Toorima spat on the ground. "Don't lie to me, Battousai! She interfered with you precious battle and you cut her down!"

"No." Kenshin calmly shook his head. "She died...she died to protect me, that she did. She was not murdered...she sacrificed herself."

Toorima's attention on Karou was lost momentarily as he channeled all of his hate at the man in front of him. "Damn you, Battousai. You truly are lower than scum. Sacrifice? What woman would do such a thing, especially for a cold hard killer like you?" He thrust his blade in Kenshin direction, his eyes blazing, "Burn in Hell!"

Karou saw her chance. As the blade dropped from her throat, she threw her body backwards, catching the fuming Toorima off guard. He stumbled back, arm still tight around her body, as he tripped over their flailing feet. His leg entangling Karou's, they both let out a cry as they tumbled from the room and out into the moonlit grass between the gate and dojo. Toorima immediately shoved Karou away from him, wrapping his robe about him tighter in order to protect his body from the rays of the moon. The violent shove sent Karou flying into the outstretched arms of the following Kenshin.

"Karou-dono, are you alright?" Kenshin asked, steadying her.

Karou nodded, turning to look over her shoulder at the withering Toorima. "I'm fine...but what's wrong with him?"

They watched in fascination at the dark robes shivered violently in time with Toorima's spasms of anguish. He fell to his hands and knees, red eye riveted to the ground as he crawled backwards and into the protective shade of the wall overhangs. Trying to slow his ragged breathing, Toorima glared at them.

Kenshin stepped in front of Karou, blocking her from Toorima's view. "Give up now and leave, Toorima. The elements are obviously against you tonight."

Toorima stared at Kenshin, his breathing heavy. The silence dragged on, the two dojo protectors eyeing the assassins, ready for anything. Slowly Toorima lowered his head as if in defeat. The earth seemed to shatter as a low, throaty chuckle filled the air.

"Do you really think me that much of a fool, Battousai?" Toorima hissed, lifting his head and staring directly at the samurai. "I may fear the light, but moonlight is something that I force myself to endure. It is you who the elements have betrayed on this night. Look."

Kenshin shifted his eyes from Toorima to the darkening sky above. His heart sank at the sight of large, thick clouds starting to roll in, evidence of a waking storm. He glanced back at Toorima, maintaining a composed face even as Karou gripped his arm in worry.

"Kenshin..." she whispered urgently, "The clouds..."

"Are nothing to be concerned about, Karou-dono." Kenshin replied firmly, raising his opposite hand to cover hers, "I will deal with the situation, that I will, do not trouble yourself."

Toorima stepped forward as the rays of the moonlight were slowly blocked by the clouds. He was chuckling as he moved closer and closer, his grip tightening on his blade. "I will enjoy this, Battousai...greatly. Too long have I played games, watching and waiting for the perfect time. On this night you will die amidst the applause of thunder and rain."

Kenshin stepped further in front of Karou, flecks of gold dotting the edges of his eyes. "You will not harm Karou and you will not kill me. I swear to that."

Toorima paused as a ray of moonlight fell through the clouds, striking his body. Reflexively he jerked back and yet urged his body to remain in its place. He allowed himself a firm smirk of victory as his body ceased its obnoxious quaking. "You see, Battousai? Already, I am conquering all elements of the night. Soon, the day will know my terrors as well." He lifted his sword, pointing it at Kenshin in challenge. "Come Battousai! Let us see if you can tame _this_ demon of your past!"

Kenshin straightened, crouching down into a fighting stance. "I can see you won't leave until I defeat you, that I do." His body tensed. "Then I fully accept your challenge."

Kenshin rushed forward, his unchallenged and legendary speed proving its worth once more as he charged the waiting Toorima. The cloaked assassin smirked as Kenshin winked from view, stepping over to one side just as Kenshin reappeared, hand snatching for the now missing weapon. Toorima barked a laugh as he brought his sword lashing down, but once again, Kenshin's speed saved him from a brutal death. The red-haired samurai rolled to one side, coming up in a crouch facing Toorima.

Toorima pulled his embedded sword from the ground, staring at Kenshin, his eye slightly curved in what hinted at a smile beneath his hood. "Your speed never ceases to amaze me, Battousai. That blow would have surly beheaded you." His lifted the sword again. "Come once more, please. My skills are as rusty as yours."

Kenshin glared at him, ignoring the trickle of blood that fell from the shallow cut at the base of his neck. "Your skills are rusty?"

"Oh!" Toorima gasped mockingly. "I seemed to have actually cut you! That will make things much harder...I'll actually have to aim this time if I want a clean beheading. Try again."

Kenshin glanced at Karou worriedly, silently begging that she remain in that spot. Karou stared back at him, her lips pressed in determination, eyes narrowed. Kenshin's heart clutched, feeling true panic for the first time in a long time. He'd seen that look before...she always had that hardened glare whenever she was about to do something that he'd never agree with. Kenshin tried to communicate with his eyes, tried to plead with her to remain out of it, but her stubborn look only intensified.

"Too long!" Toorima snarled, easily catching both of them by surprise as he rushed forward.

Kenshin never had time to react; too distracted was he by Karou and her safety. He was just rising to his feet when Toorima's foot connected to his face. Kenshin was sent flying into the dojo walls, blood spurting from his mouth. He landed in a pathetic heap, crimson liquid dripped from the corner of his mouth, his tried body struggling.

But Toorima was relentless. He was beside the fallen hitokiri in an instant, snatching up the rurouni's long hair in a tight fist. Toorima jerked back ruthlessly, pulling Kenshin off balance and dragging him away from the wall. Kenshin let out a cry of pain, his hands coming up to try and pry away Toorima's iron grip.

The first drops of rain began to fall.

Toorima grabbed Kenshin up by the collar of his kimono, lifting him until they were eye to eye. Gold flecked violet stared deep into darkened red as the two challenged each other. For the first time, Kenshin got a good glimpse at the face behind the shadows and the image was one that would forever be burned into the back of his mind.

"Your...face..."

Toorima's red eye narrow, lips curling into a sinister snarl. He threw Kenshin to the ground, pressed a heavy foot onto the injured leg of the rurouni. Kenshin let out a strangled yelp as Toorima leaned over him, reaching into the depths of his black cloak.

"There are many things I don't like in this world, Battousai," he growled, his foot increasing the pressure on the still bleeding leg. He shoved his sword in the ground next to Kenshin's head. "One of them is the eyes of people...of warriors such as yourself. Eyes have a very bad habit of going places where they don't belong, such as yours have, Battousai." He uncorked the tiny vial in his hands. "This is a little something that I like to use when necessary...a tool used to teach the curious not to pry into dangerous unknown."

Kenshin began to struggle, white flashing on the edges of his vision at the blinding pain lacing through his body. He tried to lift the upper half of his body in an attempt to grab at the killer. Toorima snorted in disgust before lashing forward and wrapping his free hand around Kenshin's neck. Although the ex-hitokiri's eyes were now a blazing gold, he felt no fear. He was stronger, better, and smarter than the old man. He was a god of the night and the Battousai was nothing more than a maggot compared to his great power.

Toorima held the vial over Kenshin's face, his eye gleaming with excitement. "It will be quite hard to fight when you cannot see, won't it?" He tipped the vial, the clear liquid rushing to the lip. "Enjoy the world that I once knew..."

"_No!_"

Despite every thing he knew about Karou, he'd never expected her to do what she did. Toorima jerked back as Karou snatched at the vial in his hands. Gripping his wrists, she pulled at them, trying to prevent the inevitable from happening. Toorima was too shocked to do anything for a moment, but as she went for his fingers, he was finally moved into action. Face twisting to a look of pure hatred and annoyance; he glared at the interfering woman.

"Get you gone, girl!" he snapped, pulled his arm back.

Karou ignored him, still grappling with his arm in a losing battle. "You won't hurt him!" she declared stubbornly.

Toorima began to shake with anger. "You dare to try and stop _me_?" His whole body seemed to move with the anger flowing through him. "I am a _god_! Find your place beneath me and stay there!"

"No!" Karou shouted at him, freeing one hand to deliver a hard punch to his face. The punch was so unexpected, so unthinkable by Toorima's terms that he was caught completely by surprise as his face snapped around from the force of the blow.

Time seemed to slow for Kenshin, his body unable to respond quickly enough. Toorima fell back, the vial launching from his fingers and into the air. It seemed to hover there in space before tipping down and releasing its contents onto his unprotected face. The pain was indescribable and time returned to normal.

Kenshin let out a ragged scream of anguish and pain as the liquid showered around him. Toorima had recovered from the blow, his hand wrapped around Karou's as the scream ripped from Kenshin's throat. They both turned, Karou's face riveted in horror at the sight of a thrashing Kenshin, still pinned by Toorima's legs. Despite his strength, Toorima was bucked from Kenshin's body as the wild animal need of survival surfaced in the warrior. He back away from Kenshin and Karou, watching in fascination as the Battousai jerked and screamed, his love trying vainly to calm him.

"Kenshin!" she cried, a mix of rain and tears streaming down the side of her face, "Oh gods, _Kenshin!_"

Kenshin screamed again, raising his hands to his face, rubbing at his eyes. Toorima laughed at the sight. "Yes! Rub the toxin in deeper, Battousai! Go on, scrub away!"

Karou instantly grabbed Kenshin's flailing hands, trying to stop him from doing further damage. The moment she did this, Toorima was back on his feet, striding towards her angrily.

"I told you to get back, woman!" he snarled, shoving her away angrily and snatching up his sword. He viciously kicked her in the stomach as she tried to rise, taking great satisfaction in the look of pain that crossed her face as she collapsed to the ground, curling into a fetal position. Toorima turned back to the Battousai, firmly planting his boot on the squirming man's chest and raising his sword.

"Welcome to a world of eternal darkness, Battousai..."

Karou lashed out with her foot as the blade came down, her heel connecting solidly with Toorima's knee as an audible _pop_ was heard. Toorima let out a cry and he was jerked to one side, his falling blade burying itself deep into Kenshin's right shoulder. Toorima fell and rolled away, clutching his knee in pain.

"Damn you, bitch!" he yelled at Karou as the dojo master struggled to her feet. "Damn you, you'll pay for this!"

Even as Karou made a move for his sword, Toorima was up and gone, shoving his weapon in to his scabbard before Karou could grab hold of it. He back away from her quickly, glaring with a hate filled eye as he disappeared into the shadows and out of the dojo gate. _You'll pay..._

Karou remained motionless, staring at the spot where Toorima once stood. She could feel the tears of fear and sadness rolling down her cheeks, unable to move although her mind willed her to. The ragged moan from Kenshin averted her from the trance-like state she'd fallen into. Karou fell to her knees, cradling Kenshin's head in her arms as he moaned and whimpered like a beaten dog. She rocked back and forth, holding Kenshin tighter as his hands came up to grab at her soaked clothing.

"Kenshin..." she whispered, head tilted towards the sky. "Oh, Kenshin...I'm so sorry..." She leaned down, pressing her lips to Kenshin's fevered forehead as she rocked, the sky truly opening up as the rain fell in sheets, the lighting flashing. "I'm so very sorry..."

And far above, thunder and rain began to applause.

* * *

_

* * *

How's that? Haha! Finally, right? **Finally** Kenshin is blinded and **finally** I update. Apologizes for taking so long on both. I really am ashamed for that. It got distracted by my other new Gundam Wing fic "Jungle Rot". If you're a Gundam fan I encourage you to read it. I'm getting good reviews._

_Also, if you're a GW fan (whether you read or write) I think you should pay a visit to the website on my author page: Aishiteru. It's now being updated every Sunday, so please submit and please read! It's one of the biggest (if not **the** biggest) library of Gundam Wing works on the web!_


	9. Chapter Nine

**_The Guardian_**

**_By: Wildfire Sky_**

_Next chapter of "The Guardian" is now up and here for your viewing pleasure. Most readers don't realize it, but a lot of how good an author is can be weighed by how many reviews they're able to accumulate. If reviews were money, most of us would be dirt poor. Reviews also inspire authors to write more. Why in Hell would we waste our time is no one is even going to tell us how we're doing? The moral of this little speech? REVIEW DAMN IT! _

**_The Guardian_**

**_Chapter Nine

* * *

_**

The two-horse carriage clattered over the stone passageway that led up to the large, two story building of public affairs, the same building that housed the offices of some of Japan's most influential citizens, next to the emperor himself. Passing through the wide, metal gates, the carriage quickly pulled in front of the large entryway, its occupant patiently waiting as an attendant scurried down the front steps to swing open his door with a tight, formal bow.

"Good afternoon, Gortu-sama." The attendant said, stepping aside to make room for the bearded man to step down. Gortu regarded him with unhidden distain, smoothing out his suit as he began up the steps to the building, the attendant quickly joining him as the carriage pulled away.

"Gortu-sama," he said, nodding at the guards to open the doors and admit them, "You've been requested by the council to appear in exactly one hour. Do you wish to have anything to eat or drink before your meeting?"

Gortu's lip curled into a snarl. "Get the hell away from me."

The attendant nodded. "Of course Gortu-sama. May I also announce that you have a visitor waiting for you in your office."

"A visitor?" Gortu echoed, cocking an eyebrow. "Who is it?"

"He did not disclose his name, sir. Just asked that I deliver the message to you." The sound of hooves clattering filled the air and the attendant paused, bowing reverently. "Excuse me, Gortu-sama, while I attend to the new arrival. Is there anything I may get you before I depart?"

Gortu shook his head, waving a dismissing hand. "No. Go about your business."

"Thank you, sir. Have a good day."

Gortu watched the attendant suspiciously. With the bout of recent murders and kidnappings, not to mention the shocking discovery of Genze's body, no visitor was allowed into any political building with an armed escort and knowledge of his name. A sinking feeling stirred in Gortu's stomach. What if it was the assassin and the attendant was his accomplice? That would mean that the moment he walked into his office he'd be cut down.

_Not a chance in Hell..._

Gortu spun on his heel, approaching the two guards at the doorway. They snapped to attention as he approached, one stepping forward and delivering a swift bow. "Gortu-sama, how can we be of service?"

"Did the attendant that escorted me inside come by here?" Gortu asked, his hands on his hips as he looked between the two.

The guards glanced at each other in confusion. "Yes, Gortu-sama," the first said, "He was just called away."

"So he's gone where?"

The guard bowed solemnly. "I do not know, Gortu-sama. Would you like us to track him down for you, sir?"

By now, the people passing the hallway were beginning to stare as Gortu stood, berating the two innocent guardsmen. He began to feel more and more self-conscious as the other politicians began to whisper and frown, displeased with the fact that he was lessening their safety by distracting to two guards. It wouldn't help him to send the guards away on what might turn out to be a wild goose chase. Straightening his jacket, Gortu forced a smile on his face.

"No, no...that won't be necessary." He returned their offered bow with a mumbled 'good-day'. He left the two guards, trying to ignore the heated stares of his coworkers. Back straight and nose in the air, he strode away, trying desperately to seem much more important than he really was. As soon as he turned the corner, Gortu let his body slump, wariness hitting him like ice water. He had no weapon, no escort, nothing to prepare himself for whatever might lie beyond his doorway. Although the notion was ridiculous, it was a justified ridiculousness.

He slowed dramatically as he approached his office door, almost tiptoeing as he paused in front of it, hand nervously twitching over the door handle. Scratching at his beard, Gortu took a deep breath before slamming his shoulder against the door as he opened it, falling to the ground in a roll, stumbling into the dimly lit room. Crashing headlong into his desk, Gortu landing in a painful heap on the floor, his back leaning against the wooden desk. Moaning lightly, Gortu brought up a hand to the back of his head, caressing it softly.

"What are you doing?"

Gortu blinked in surprise, slowly looking up into the weathered face of one of the most important men in both his life and the lives of the citizens of Japan. Iccesha Yamoto stared down at Gortu from over the edge of the desk where he'd been sitting, his grey eyes overshadowed by the matching wisps of hair that fell over his face. Dressed in a traditional red and white kimono, Yamoto, the so-called 'Son of Peace' by the people, came around the desk as Gortu scrambled to his feet, bowing reverently.

"Yamoto-sama!" he said, his heart pounding in his chest. "I am so deeply honored that you would take time to visit me." Straightening, Gortu moved to offer him the plush desk chair. "Please, sit."

Yamoto smiled gently, holding up a hand. "Oh no, that won't be necessary, Gortu. If you would do me the pleasure of joining me for a walk around the gardens for a bit. I think there's some things we need to discuss...things that we need fresh air for."

Gortu knew what he was talking about. After all, Yamoto was one of the men he was being summoned before. Besides being highly influential in the political ring, Yamoto was also his superior. Saying no was not an option.

"Of course, Yamoto-sama," Gortu said, bowing again, "I would be honored to accompany you."

* * *

Outside, the gardens of Public Affairs still shimmered with the clinging droplets of morning dew that hung desperately from the leaves and petals of the sakura trees which had not yet fully bloomed. Tiny birds hopped from foot to foot on the thinner branches, their heads tilting curiously as they observed the two men walking along the pebbled pathway that wound through the garden.

Yamoto walked with his hands clasped behind his back, his legs coming out in front in a slow, leisurely pace that did everything but much the rapid beating of Gortu's heart. Nervously clenching and unclenching his crossed hands in front of him, Gortu's gaze remained riveted on the ground in front. The old man beside him spoke not a single word as they strode through the gardens together as if old friends. The silence did nothing to calm Gortu's nerves, but instead gave him the time to realize that he was walking next to a very important person.

After the revolution, Yamoto and a small band of future politicians had begun the process of restoring the loyalty of the people with a new government. With the majority of the population torn between tradition and something new, Yamoto and his groups of friends tried to devise some way to calm the shaky ground on which this new era had begun. If he and his friends hadn't moved as quickly as they had, the vanquished warlords displaced by the revolution would have stepped forward once again and taken back control over both the land and the people. By his guidance, Yamoto himself formed the new office of public affairs that handles so many things this day.

Of course, that was only one of many things that Yamoto did for this country. And now Gortu was in the presence of a man worshiped by the people. He didn't feel worthy...not with his past and what was happening now in the present.

As they began their second circuit of the gardens, Gortu became anxious. "Yamoto-sama..." he began slowly.

"It's a beautiful morning, isn't it?" Yamoto cutting in, tilting his head towards the clearing sky. "A proper morning for such a grand place like Japan. I helped build this country you know, put it back on its feet after such a terrible war."

Yes, Gortu was fully aware of Yamoto's accomplishments. Everyone was, including the smallest child.

Yamoto lowered his head, pausing beneath a sakura tree. "It's been so long since that terrible war ended, but I can still feel the bloods of innocents running over my hands. You didn't know that I was a fighter, did you, Gortu? In fact, I was one of the men fighting to prevent this new era from coming."

That made Gortu pause. He stared at Yamoto in shock, his brain seeming to turn to overload at this shocking revolution. "Yamoto-sama? You...you were..."

"One of the Shinsengumi, even if I was no more than a background man." The old man let out a tiny laugh. "My purpose was to either convince warlords to join with us, or kill them. Not much of a negotiation, but that was pretty much all you had to offer in those days. The men that helped me form this era were once my enemies...I hated them and they hated me as well with every fiber of their being."

Gortu shook his head in confusion. "Yamoto-sama, I don't understand...why are you telling me all of this? I have no desire to learn your past."

"Even though you're going down the same path I was?" Yamoto turned cold eyes on Gortu, "I know about your dealings with the yakuza and that friend of yours. I've known for many months now. Have you no mind, Gortu? Why would you threaten to break the peace that I've fought so hard for all these years for something as pathetic as more power?"

Gortu stiffened, his body automatically locking into defense. "If you've known for so long, then why didn't you try and put a stop to it earlier?" he glared as Yamoto turned away. "I know you could have...your sources seem well enough."

"You really don't know what you've done, do you?" Yamoto held out a finger and a tiny song bird swiftly landed on it, letting out a light chirp as it hopped from foot to foot staring up at Yamoto curiously. Yamoto watching carefully, his eyes softening as it took to flight, joining a circle of its relatives. Gortu watched Yamoto instead of the birds, wondering about the entire display.

Finally, Yamoto sighed, turning back towards the large building, his hands clasped behind his back again. Gortu quickly followed, to the side and slightly behind his superior, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"What have I done, Yamoto-sama?" he questioned, "Tell me what has you acting like this..."

Yamoto paused, staring directly into Gortu's deep eyes. "Often an entire city has suffered because of the ambitions of one man. Do not seek evil gains...they are the equivalent of disaster."

Gortu blinked in surprise as Yamoto swiftly turned away and proceeded up the back steps, instantly flanked by the assistant from before. The man paused at the back door, offering a pointed glare and a short bow, before turning to follow his master inside. Gortu was left in the gardens, staring at the closed door, more confused now than he had been before.

"Do not seek evil gain?" Gortu snorted, looking away from the building, his lip curling into an annoyed sneer. "Yamoto no baka! I am doing this world a great favor through my actions. He'll see that someday..."

_They all will...

* * *

_

Karou looked in on Kenshin's prone form, wringing her hands nervously as Megumi gathered her thing and stood up, casting a sorrowful glance down at Kenshin before she turned and approached Karou, closing the shoji door and blocking Karou's view of the suffering Kenshin. Despite the fact that she could no longer see him, Karou continued to stare at the door, as if trying to will it to open again and grant her access to her love.

Megumi silently observed Karou, her worries increasing at the quiet rage that she knew was flowing through the sword master's veins. The floorboards shook slightly in announcement of Sanouske's arrival, his walk not as firm because of his still mending injuries. Behind him came a scrambling Yahiko, skidding across the polished wood in his haste.

"Baka!" Sano snarled as Yahiko crashed into his legs, nearly sending him crashing to the ground, "Watch where you're going!"

Yahiko sat up from his position on the ground, rubbing his head, "I was watching, you were in my way you big baby!"

"You little brat!"

"Over grown monkey!"

Megumi quickly stepped forward as Sano wrapped a hand in the front of Yahiko's kimono and bodily lifted the squirming boy from the ground, fist raised in preparation of a pounding. "Enough!" she snapped firmly, grabbing Sano's hand, "I won't have you two fighting in front of my patient."

"You mean _Kenshin_, right?" Sano growled, jerking his hand away, "He's not just another one of your patients, he's your friend."

Megumi shook her head, "That's why doctors make mistakes when dealing with people they know. Should the worse come, I can't have the line blur between our relationship and I make a mistake. He's already suffering; I don't want to make it any worse."

Karou turned slightly from the door, looking at Megumi from the corner of her eye. "What is wrong with him, Megumi? Is he going to be blind forever?"

"I honestly don't know." Megumi said with a sigh, "From what I can tell, that poison was made from a very powerful venom base, mostly likely from a snake or a spider."

"Don't know of many poisonous snakes in Tokyo." Yahiko mumbled to himself. He looked up at the others. "Does that mean that the venom is foreign?"

"Who the hell cares?" Sano demanded, thumping his fist against the firm wooden roof supports, "Just let me find that Toorima chicken shit and I'll stuff that poison right up his---"

Karou frowned as Sano trailed off, his voice hitching in his throat. "This is all my fault..." he said softly, "If I hadn't been so stupid and got hurt, I might have been here to help..." he looked over at Karou. "I'm sorry, tanuki...I really am."

Karou merely shook her head, stepping closer to the taller man and staring up into his sorrowful eyes. "Please don't be sorry for something you couldn't control, Sanouske. Toorima took everyone by surprise, even Kenshin…right?"

Sano looked away. "Sure, tanuki…whatever you say…"

Yahiko watched the exchange impatiently, his arms crossed in front of his chest, eyes narrowed. "Who cares _whose_ fault it is? I say we go kick his ass!"

Megumi frowned, an eyebrow arched. "Excuse me? Are you seriously contemplating leaving an injured and exposed Kenshin while we go after a man that managed to slip past us _twice_?"

"Well, what else are we supposed to do?" the young swordsman demanded, glaring. "If we don't go after him, won't he attack us again?"

Sano thumped Yahiko on his head, steeling the boy with a hard glare. "Don't be so stupid. Karou said she injured him too, right? That means he'll have to recover his strength as well before he can do anything. We'll wait here, help Kenshin recovery and _then_…" Sano slammed his fist into the open palm of his hand, "Then, Yahiko, we go and kick his ass!" Yahiko cheered enthusiastically as the two began to plot.

Megumi sighed, locking gazes with Karou and projecting the same thought. _Men…_

A low moan drifted from Kenshin's room, causing the group to fall silent. Karou quickly made her way towards the shoji door, pausing as Megumi stepped in front of her, stopping the insistent girl with a hard stare. Karou glared back in a silent order for the doctor to move.

"Comfort him." Megumi whispered, never cowering from the glare, "Try not to say anything about Toorima or his eyes. At this point, Kenshin's pain is more mental than physical; he doesn't need to be reminded of his handicap. Understand?"

Karou lowered her eyes. "I understand."

Nodding, Megumi moved aside, granting Karou access to her patient. Sano resisted the urge to follow, aided greatly by the dangerous scowl that appeared on Megumi's face. Holding up his hands in defeat, Sano leaned against the roof support, crossing his arms and watching as Karou knelt down next to Kenshin. Yahiko joined him, crouching down just outside of the door, giving the two lovers inside just enough space for the privacy he knew they wanted.

Karou knelt next to Kenshin, smoothing his sweat soaked bangs from his forehead. Her fingers trailed down from his forehead to his cheek, her thumb gently caressing the burning flesh. Kenshin lay before her, his boiled eyes wrapped in a medicine soaked cloth that bathed his eyes in a soothing liquid designed to ease his pain. Megumi's professional hands had also cared for his leg, the calf sown up and wrapped in tight bandages. She'd blatantly refused to allow Megumi to treat her wounds, knowing they weren't nearly as threatening as Kenshin's were.

Kenshin's face slowly turned into her hand, his lips pressing a small kiss against them. Smiling gently, Karou leaned closer to him. "How are you feeling, Kenshin?"

The ex-hitokiri smiled against her hand. "I'm feeling well, that I am, Karou-dono. And you? You're not hurt too bad are you?"

"Nothing that will take more than a day to heal." Her smile fell slightly at the sight of his wrapped face. "Sano and Yahiko are outside."

Kenshin chuckled lightly, "I know. I heard them, that I did…very loud those two."

Karou also forced a laugh, her hand continuing to move. The silence stretched between them, until Kenshin finally spoke. "Don't go after Toorima…don't even try, Karou-dono."

Karou blinked. "But, Kenshin, I…"

"I know what you are thinking, that I do…" He frowned, "You want to find him, even after everyone agreed they would not. Don't do it…don't let Sano either."

Karou glanced over that the group staring curiously into the room. Sano had a look in his eyes that confirmed Kenshin's observations. When their eyes caught, Sano looked away guiltily. Kenshin's hand came from beneath the sheets to grab at Karou's stroking hand.

"Wait for me…" he whispered, "Wait for me and we will finish this together."

"Kenshin…"

His hand tightened. "He threatened you…injured you. And that is unacceptable, that it is. But having you hurt or…or killed for my sake is even more condemning."

Karou shook her head. "But Kenshin…you don't have your sword, Toorima does. How you fight him when the time comes?"

Kenshin's face settled in to hard determination. "Even if it does cost me my life, the threat of Toorima will end. If that means I fight him with my bare hands so be it." He hand came up to Karou's face. "But until then, Karou-dono, stay. Stay with me…onegai…"

Karou closed her eyes, her own hand coming up to cover Kenshin's as she nodded. _I will stay Kenshin…I will stay with you_. She looked at Sano out of the corner of her eye, his firm nod mirroring her thoughts. _But, if I must fight…I will. I will fight to protect the man I love.

* * *

_

_Whew! Ok then, nearly a month has gone by since I've updated, and I hope I have not displeased. I screwed up my hard drive when I tried to install a new one, which is why I haven't updated in forever. Please forgive me. Anyways, I hope you guys didn't think I've given up on this one. You know, I've noticed something…action chapters I have no problem with. But these more, I dunno, 'political' chapters, kill me. Am I the only one who gets writer's block like that?_

_**Thanks for all of your reviews! WATCH OUT FOR MY NEXT CHAPTER!**_


	10. Chapter Ten

_**The Guardian**_

_**By: Wildfire Sky**_

_The next installment in my series for those who have a love for anime and a love for fan fiction. I received a lot of complaints about not having enough Kenshin and Kaoru scenes, and that my political parts are boring, therefore they skim over them. I'm not mad; I'm just offended that you think parts of my story 'aren't important'. Newsflash. If they weren't important…**I wouldn't write them IN THE FIRST PLACE!**_

_So, to satisfy all, I'll make this chapter as much Kenshin x Kaoru as possible. Just to note in the future, however, supporting characters do just that. They support the story and are therefore necessary. Thanks and remember to R&R!_

_**The Guardian**_

_**Chapter Ten

* * *

**_

Kenshin released a quiet sigh as he lay on his cot, staring up at the ceiling…or at least _trying_ to stare at it. He'd been blind before, cursed by a Christian and his god. But this…this was different. Before, his blindness was something he'd accepted and quickly learned to deal with, but this time, every time he tried to concentrate on something, tried to seek out the presence of others, his mind would being to ache, filling with a dull throbbing pain that he had yet to understand, and even the slightest movement caused a flash of pain to shoot up his spine.

It seemed that this poison did a great deal more than simply blind him…he knew that right now he was virtually defenseless, save for the protection of Kaoru and the others. Protection he did not want them to offer. Should Toorima recover, and return for a third attack, he would cut them down as easily as he had to him…they would die miserably and he'd be forced to listen to their cries of death. If they ever happened, he would drive a blade into his own heart and save himself the anguish of knowing that his weakness had caused such evil to befall his family.

Kenshin was pulled from his thoughts at the sounds of the shoji door opening with a soft whisper of wood upon wood. Soft, distinct footsteps padded towards him, the rattle of a bowl mixing with the walk. Kenshin allowed a tiny smile to cross his features and he lifted his head to stare in the approximate direction of the sounds.

"Kaoru-dono…"

There was a rustle of clothing near his head and a clatter as the bowl was settled on the wooden floor. "Good morning, Kenshin." Kaoru whispered softly, her hand reaching down to clasp his clammy one, "How are you feeling today?"

Kenshin shrugged one shoulder. "I'm doing fine, that I am. Have your wounds healed yet?" It been almost a week since Toorima's attack and he'd at least be allowed to take off the medicine wrapping, but he still didn't know about the state of Kaoru's injuries. She'd refused time and again to tell him. The lack of the scent of blood in the air was at least of some comfort to him.

Kaoru picked up the bowl at her side. "I've healed for the most part, besides, it's you that I'm worried about. Have you been able to see any kinds of colors or shapes?"

"Iie. There's…nothing." He sighed dejectedly. She'd asked the same thing for the past week at least four times a day. It was grating on the nerves, but he knew that she was only worried about him. "I think this is something that will take a long time, that I do." _If I even recover that is._

Kaoru gently stroked the long bangs from his face, bending forward and planting a warm kiss on his forehead before lifting the chopsticks into the bowl and scooping out a clump of rice. Allowing the smell to reach Kenshin's nose, she waited for him to sit up and open his mouth before depositing the food inside. She watched quietly at the samurai chewed his food; calmly taking his time to savor the treat he couldn't see. She knew in the back of his mind, being feed like this was degrading beyond all reason for a fighter like him. To have to succumb to having your food feed to you like an ill child was emotionally straining and depressing. So Kaoru, to ease his well-placed pain, said nothing about these humbling interactions, speaking only when Kenshin talked to her directly.

Kaoru set the half-full bowl aside momentarily and picked up the small clay cup of water. She brought it to her lips, releasing it as Kenshin's strong hands wrapped around it. Emptying the cup, he set it aside and lay back down, closing his unseeing eyes.

"Arigato, Kaoru-dono."

Kaoru nodded, gathering the utensils back onto the tray and setting it aside. "Are you sure you don't want anything else to eat?"

"Iie…" Kenshin smirked, "You can have the rest. I know we don't have much money left, that we don't."

Taken aback, Kaoru blinked, her eyebrows furrowing together with concern. "Kenshin, I…"

"Don't try to deny it, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin opened his eyes, titling his head towards her. "My hearing has become much better now, that it has. I heard you and Sanouske arguing last night. You should discourage him from gambling so much."

Kaoru smiled. "I wish I could, but the big goof doesn't know how to stop." Her smile faltered and she leaned closer to him. "I don't want you to worry about the rest of us, Kenshin. We're quite capable of handling ourselves." She reached out, lightly running a finger over his smooth cheek. "I want you to concentrate on getting well…maybe, if you get up and move around you'll start feeling better."

Slowly reaching up with a calloused hand, Kenshin aimed for her own cheek. Feeling her warm breath against his fingers, Kenshin moved slightly to the right, finding her wet cheek and cupping it.

"Don't cry, Kaoru-dono. It doesn't suit you, that it does not." Kenshin felt her face tighten into a smile. He let his own smile mirror hers and with a light tug, encouraged Kaoru to lean down closer to him. "That's better…"

Their noses were only inches apart, their warm breath mingling in the tight space between them. Hesitantly, Kaoru leaned down and gently pressed her lips to Kenshin's, her eyes locked on his face for any signs of pain, but all she saw was grateful bliss. The old samurai's eyes slid closed, pushing his face closer to hers in an attempt to deepen the innocent kiss. To which Kaoru willing replied. Her hands came up, cupping Kenshin's face and supporting it as she drew him in, her own eyes sliding shut with unsuppressed joy. She wanted to wake up each morning to a kiss like this…

"_Whoooaaa!_ Excuse _me!_"

Kenshin and Kaoru broken apart immediately, Kenshin's eyes swing towards the doorway as Kaoru jerked back, a guilty look on her face. Yahiko stood at the door, legs spread and hands on hips, a wide grin on his young face. His eyes moved from one guilty party to the next, a knowing gleam reflecting in his orbs.

"Next time you don't want to be disturbed, tell me!" he said slyly, moving further into the room, "Boy, I can't wait to tell Sanouske! Hahaha!"

Yahiko let out a yelp of surprise when Kaoru was suddenly standing in front of him, the flames of Hell spouting from her eyes.

"_Go away!"_ she snarled angrily, shoving the boy towards the door, "Out! Out! _Out!_"

Kenshin couldn't help but smile at the antics of the two, knowing that it was a half-show to make him feel better. He truly appreciated such things from his family, despite the fact that he couldn't see. He could hear them well enough…some times _too_ well. Ever since the attack, Sano had opted to spend most of his time around the dojo and fashion as the protector of Kaoru and Yahiko while he was impaired, even though the fighter insisted he was only sticking around for food. With Sano's moving in, time and again Kenshin woke up to loud rumbles of snoring that had his ears ringing. He'd never realized before how loud the man slept…really never noticed many of the sounds he now did. Without his eyes, his other senses have grown stronger, more alert. Every touch, smell, sounds, and taste was intensified, almost to the point of being shocking. The first time Kenshin had noticed such a change had been when Kaoru had brought him a bouquet of flowers from town. The smell had been so powerful he'd began to gag.

"Oi, Kenshin!" The two had stopped arguing and Yahiko now addressed him directly. "I came to tell you that you have a visitor."

Kenshin lifted his head, staring in the general direction of the doorway. "A visitor?"

"Aa." Yahiko glanced at Kaoru, sending her a smooth smirk. "A girl named Atara or something like that…you wanna see her?"

Kenshin blinked his blind eyes, struggling to sit up and forcing the pain from his mind. _Atara? Why would she be here?_ "H-Hai…"

Even from his bed, Kenshin could hear the timid footsteps of the newcomer as she approached from the dojo gates. Yahiko was talking again, his voice further away, but Kenshin was no longer worried about him. He could almost feel the waves of confusion rolling from Karou's ki. Atara's footsteps came to a pause just outside the open shoji before slowly making their way inside. There was a rustle of clothing and a creaking of boards as Atara knelt beside him.

"So the rumors are true, Ken-san." She said in the soft, innocent voice of hers. Kenshin rolled his head towards her voice, frowning in response to the blunt statement.

"Rumors?"

"Aa…" Atara looked up and over to where Kaoru and Yahiko stood in the doorway, watching them. "One of the women at the brothel told me she heard a commotion coming from the dojo, a battle she said it sounded like. When I heard it was yours I came as quickly as I could to see if you were alright."

Kenshin shifted slightly, reaching out a hand in search of hers. "I am fine, that I am. Just a few scratches."

Atara watched dishearteningly as Kenshin's hand tried to locate the one in her lap. Even now, in his weakest hour, he had to lie to her…he had to try and protect her from the truth. She knew that he didn't think her a fool; he should have known that his handicap was obvious to any. He poor, blood-shot eyes stared out like empty pools, void of any life or emotion. Certainly not the emotion she'd come to treasure, that emotion of compassion. Now, all that was left…was pain. Her pain mirrored in his eyes.

She reached out and took Kenshin's hand, pressing it against her cheek lovingly. "Ken-san…you're like a brother to me. So why must you lie to me all of the time? Can't you trust me?"

Kenshin smiled. "You tend to have a big mouth, Atara-dono."

Atara broke into a wide smile, despite the jab to her character. She released his hand, setting it back beside him. Brushing his bangs away from his face, Atara examined his swollen eyes. "How did your eyes become like this?" she asked, leaning close enough to see the veins running across his eye and the traces of discharge in the corners.

Kenshin sighed lightly, "During the attack…it was some sort of toxin."

Atara hummed to herself, gently pushing his eyelids back. "Are you still in pain?"

The answer was a low whisper, one that Atara wasn't sure she heard. "In more than just my body…"

Atara's questing hands paused and she sat back, looking down at Kenshin. Even in his now blank eyes, the self-loathing was back. The same look he'd held on his face when he learned of her present situation. The same look from the past. She hated it…hated that he blamed himself for every bad thing that happened to every person he met. He wasn't at fault for most of what happens. Sometimes things happen that can't be predicted or changed…by anyone save God.

Kenshin turned his face towards her, his eyes moving uselessly. Atara shook her head slightly and frowned. "You've been blind before, Ken-san…is the pain any different from then?"

The ex-hitokiri blinked. "How did you know…"

"I was in the region at one time." Atara smiled, "They still talk about you, do you know that? The warrior who defied God. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, but the people are certainly impressed with you."

Kenshin smiled lightly. "If you talk to a Christian, I'm sure they're not going to speak of it well, that they won't."

"Oh, who cares about the Christians?" Atara snapped, waving a hand dismissively, "Let them have their 'god'. I'm more worried about you right now, Ken-san. You recovered from that blindness after a short while."

"It was not a natural attack, that it was not." Kenshin closed his eyes at the memory. "I've never felt pain like this before."

Atara glanced up at Kaoru who stepped further into the room, but addressed Kenshin. "This is most likely a venom, Ken-san. Probably from a snake or spider."

"How would you know that?" Kaoru asked, kneeling across from her. "Are you a doctor?"

Atara instantly reddened, lowering her head bashfully. "No, Kaoru-sama, I am not. But I am familiar with poisonings."

"Where would you learn of something like this?"

A heavy silence fell over the group, Kenshin staring in Kaoru's direction and Karou staring at Atara. The young girl's gaze was held firmly on the ground before she addressed Kenshin once again.

"For such a long period of pain, Ken-san, I fear that you've absorbed a toxic mix of the venom of the _yamakagashi_ snake and the leaves of a yew. When combined they can cause a great deal of pain in the area." Atara looked up, "I can't say I've ever heard of it being used in such a way as this. Whoever made the mixture must be more familiar with venom than I am."

Kaoru looked down at her love. "Is there any cure for it?"

"I…I really don't know, Kaoru-sama." Atara said nervously, also looking down at Kenshin, "Has he seen a doctor?"

"Yes. She's as unfamiliar with this as you are." Kaoru smiled softly, "But she didn't know what the poison contained. Perhaps you should talk to her, Atara-chan."

Atara was on her feet in a flash, slowly backing away. "N-No…that's fine, really. You can tell her yourself."

"Atara."

Kenshin's stern voice stopped the girl's hasty escape. She looked at him, already shaking her head at what he was going to say.

"You must stop being afraid of them."

You don't understand, Ken-san…" Atara said, her eyes darting towards the exit. Her heart clutched when Yahiko moved to block her. "I can't talk to them. I just…"

"Megumi-dono is a very kind person." Kenshin insisted. "She won't hurt you. You have my word, that you do."

The young girl glared at him, continuing to back away. "Megumi-dono? You say she's nice, well so was _she_! But then she did that to me and I…I just can't talk to any more doctors! I don't trust them, not with anything!"

Kenshin lifted his head. "Do you trust me?"

Atara shook her head, and turned away. "I trust you Kenshin, I always will…but this isn't about trust."

"What is it about, Atara-dono?"

Atara lifted her head towards the bright sunlight streaming through the open door, her eyes sliding closed. "It's about my own weakness."

* * *

For the first time since his training, Toorima found himself lying on his back, trying to sleep. The pain was too much for him to handle, unable to go to a doctor, and too weak to kidnap one, Toorima was forced to care for his own injuries. Needless to say, setting his knee back in place was a painful endeavor that he had no future plans of repeating. His leg was still wrapped, his mixing bowl still partially filled with medicine even after a week.

Worse, his employer would be impatient with his delay. The Battousai was supposed to be dead by now. Long dead. Toorima was supposed to kill him on the first night of the attack, but never expected such a fierce response or the unfortunate interruption from the police.

Toorima closed his eyes as another spike of pain lanced up his leg. He hated being so helpless! As the pain passed he relaxed, releasing a pent-up sigh and wrapped his robe around him tighter. Sitting up against the stone wall, he reached for the container of sake and took a long gulp of the powerful liquid. The burn was a welcome distraction from is injury.

"Planning on drowning your misery in that?"

Toorima instantly flung the bottle away from him, reaching for the weapon at his hip. Before he could pull the blade from its sheath, the tip of another tickled at his throat. The owner of the blade slowly forced Toorima's head back, a dangerous smile on his face.

"So that's what the face of a killer looks like…" the intruder mumbled, examining Toorima's exposed features. "You're pretty ugly aren't you?"

"No uglier than the evil in you." Toorima shot back, knocking aside the blade. "What do you want with me this time?"

"I want to know why the Battousai is still alive." The intruder replied, sitting cross-legged on Toorima's mat. "Things cannot proceed as long as he walks this Earth. You know that, Toorima."

The dark assassin glowered, "You don't need to remind me how important this mission is. I wanted to this at first in order to test my own worth, but I realize now that your scheme has become a danger to us both."

"He's quite an opponent, is he not?"

Toorima snorted, looking away. "More his bitch than he."

The intruder started in surprise, his eyes twinkling with curiosity. "Really? You fought with Battousai's woman? Is that how you were injured, by her? Was she strong, a threat?"

Toorima growled dangerously and shakily came to his feet, ignoring the screaming pain. "You ask too many questions. The Battousai will be dead, as I promised. However, unexpected circumstances will cause a change in tactic. I will have to kill the bitch and her friends before I can get to the Battousai."

"That is no small task by the looks of things, Toorima." The intruder also stood. "Let me stress this again, we have very limited time to complete this full circle. Any more failures will be taken from your skin. By my blade."

Toorima's lips pulled back into a deadly grin. "Then you should also be prepared to lose your own. I'm no easy target."

"A woman defeated you."

Toorima's smirk fell from his face, replaced with a snarl. "Once I recover, the Battousai will die."

"Be sure that he does, Toorima." The intruder nodded, "I want to see his name in the newspapers as another violent death in Tokyo." He reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a folded slip of paper, handing it to Toorima. "This was delivered to my employer to be given to you. It seems that a man has been looking for you, Toorima."

Toorima took the paper, his eyes widening as he read. "This is…"

"A friend of both my master and I." The intruder shrugged one shoulder, "When he found out that you were amount our ranks, he demanded access to you."

"And?" Toorima questioned, looking up, "What did you tell him?"

"I simply said that such a contact would be for you to arrange with him. Shall I tell him that I couldn't find you?"

Toorima shook his head, limping over to his primitive shelves and setting the letter on one. "No, don't bother. He trained me and knows how to find me. When he wants to speak with me, he shall come."

The intruder nodded. "Very well then, I'll take my leave of you. Remember, Toorima. He _must_ die and soon. Take care of this before I'm forced to terminate our contract."

Toorima wasn't watching him as the man exited his dwelling. Instead his gaze remained on the shelves, one in particular, where an object of his deepest desire remained missing.

* * *

Walking from the hidden cave, the visitor lightly patted the other object in his coat, whistling a small tune as he strolled through the dim forests and towards the outskirts of the city. He would return the mirror, but not at the moment. Ever since Toorima's precious object was taken, the man seemed sloppier and less controlled. Which, in the end, would be a good thing. Toorima would kill the Battousai, perhaps being slaughtered at the same time. If not, killing him would be quite simple.

The intruder beamed from ear to ear. "I'll return it to his grave."

* * *

_Whew! Ok. Done. Oh, thank God, I'm done. I certainly hoped you guys liked this chapter, and I hope I put in enough Kenshin/Kaoru to satisfy you. If not, oh well. Wait for the last chapter when I have nothing better to write about. I'm not sure if I asked this before, but do you guys mind this little "blurbs" at the beginning and ending of my chapters? I always feel like a writer should interact with their readers. Just to engage them that much more in the story._

_**Anyways, please remember to R&R and watch out for my next chapter! Thanks for reading!**_


	11. Chapter Eleven

**_The Guardian_**

**_By: Wildfire Sky_**

_Forgive me! I thought I told you guys, but apparently I only mentioned this to my "Jungle Rot" fans! Since the update of "Jungle Rot" I've been studying for finals, which just ended on December 13, and haven't been doing anything with fanfics since then. So, no, I'm not dead…not physically anyways. Mentally...whole different story..._

_Also, it was brought to my attention that I was a little off on my interpretation of the Christians and they're relationship with Kenshin. Yes, I've seen the episode, and yes, you are right that I was wrong, but don't forget that Kenshin is modest…that, and generally people who are slaughtered by another usually don't like them. But, that's just me. On to the fic!_

**_The Guardian_**

**_Chapter Eleven_**

* * *

Kaoru sat on the open porch of her dojo hall, a cup of warm tea held in her hands as she looked out over the property of her father's dojo. It was regrettable that publicly she could not claim the dojo as hers alone…as long as she remained unmarried; the Kamiya dojo would never be hers, but her father's. It was a beautiful dojo; the courtyard illuminated every evening at dusk in bright vibrant colors. Often times, whenever she was troubled, she would sit her at the entryway, watching the sun set behind her walls, waiting for the single moment when the sun would burst with color. A second that seemed to last a lifetime, taking away her aches and pains for the day. That is why she sat here now, her eyes closed, basking in the warmth of a setting sun. Sighing softly, Kaoru lifted the cup to her mouth, taking a delicate sip.

"My, my, don't we look regal?"

Kaoru cracked open an eye, the cup falling slightly from her lips. "Megumi-san…what are you doing here so late?"

Megumi stood at the bottom of the stairs looking up, a hand on one jutted hip in a stance that many brothel women took up during their shifts, a look of confidence and shielded power over others. She stood there with a ready smile, her eyes twinkling.

"I just came by to check on my dearest Kenshin…" Megumi began, her eyes challenging Kaoru. "I'm sure he's in need of some brighter company, both in spirit…and mind."

Kaoru slammed down her cup, her eyes narrowed. "And just what the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?"

Megumi leveled her own glare. "It means exactly what I said. Kenshin would like the company of someone _bright_…and judging by how much trouble you're having comprehending what I'm saying, that would exclude _you_." She flipped a lock of hair over her shoulder, "And from the way you look, it's a damn good thing he can't see you either."

When Sanouske came around the corner, he saw what looked like the ultimate showdown. Kaoru was on her feet, glaring ice daggers at Megumi while the doctor seemed to be taking it all in stride with one of her deadly smirks on. As much as he enjoyed watching the two fight to the death, with an injured Kenshin just down a ways, it wasn't a good idea to rouse the rurouni.

So he stepped forward, arm raised in greeting. "Oi! Kitsune Onna!"

Megumi's smirk fell from her face as she turned towards him. "If I have to tell you one more time, Sanosuke…_don't_ call me---"

Sano waved a dismissive hand, cutting her off mid-rant. "Sure, sure. What ever you say kitsune. What are you doing here?"

"Tormenting me!" Kaoru exclaimed before Megumi could answer.

"If you call telling the truth, tormenting, then yes, I am!" Megumi shot back smartly, gliding up the stairs. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a patient to see."

Kaoru stepped in front of her, arms spread to block her. "Oh no you don't, not until you apologize to me."

Megumi glowered. "For what? The comment about you being dumb or ugly?"

"Both!"

There was a paused, Megumi looking her up and down critically. Finally she smiled, her teeth dazzling as she opened her mouth and took a deep breath. "No."

Kaoru was shocked out of blocking her, unmoving as Megumi brushed past, her black hair streaming behind her. A smirking Sano walked up next to the frozen Kaoru, watching as Megumi disappeared around the corner towards Kenshin's room before allowing himself to chuckle. "That was entertaining."

He never saw the right hook coming.

"Woman!" he exclaimed, clamping a hand over his blackening eye. "What was that for?"

Kaoru glared at him. "I hate it when you take sides with Megumi. And I hate it whenever you tease me!"

Sano blinked. "What are you talking about? I never take sides with that kitsune. And I don't tease you…much."

Kaoru huffed, her glare softening. "What about Atara?"

Sano nodded with his head in the direction Megumi left. "As far as I know, she's still in there with Kenshin. Heh, I wonder what kind of relationship they had for her to be so attached to him? Right?"

"You know, Sanouske," Kaoru growled, turning a frozen glare on him, "It's that kind of talk that gets people seriously hurt…or maimed."

Sano stared at her, his jaw dropping slightly. "Did you just threaten me?"

"I threaten you almost everyday." Turning and walking towards Kenshin's room, Kaoru tossed one more comment over her shoulder. "That was a promise."

Sano watched her until she disappeared, scratching the back of his head in confusion before leaving towards the kitchen where the leftovers from dinner sat waiting for his hungry appetite. "I've got to remember not to piss her off so much…"

* * *

Megumi sat next to Kenshin, her bag of tools open and waiting for her as she examined the still blind samurai. Brushing aside his bangs, she tried to ignore that small child across from her. Giving only her name, Atara chose not to speak with Megumi, her attention riveted on the bed-ridden Kenshin. They'd had a chance to talk before the woman doctor came in, talk about times past and the few adventures they shared together while on the roads of Japan. She told him on the family she'd stayed with and he, in turn, told her of his. Despite the tired and pained look on his face, and despite her warnings to rest, Kenshin opted to sit up, move his body from its stiff position. The Megumi had come in and disrupted the few moments she was able to spend with her savior and good friend.

Kenshin was staring blankly in Megumi's general area, a small smile on his face. "Am I getting better, Megumi-dono?"

Megumi glanced in Atara's direction, her lips forming a tight frown. Atara stared back in challenge.

"Atara-dono is a good person, that she is," Kenshin assured, sensing the growing tension in the ki of the two women, "Her loyalties do not lie with our enemy, that they do not. You can speak in front of her."

Atara nodded. "Ken-san is right. He's helped me before and I would never do anything to hurt him or those he calls friend." She smirked, "Unless, of course, they do something to deserve it."

"Then I suppose I will have to warn Sanouske about you," Megumi said with a warm smile, "He's always finding ways to cause trouble for all of us and on more than one occasion deserves a good beating."

Kenshin shifted, looking back towards the shoji door. "How does it look, Megumi-dono?"

Megumi sighed softly, snapping her case shut. "I'm still not sure what I'm dealing with here…if what Atara says is true and you've been blinded with a venom, then our best hope is to find a cure for it. Perhaps we could bleed some of the poison from you…"

Kenshin's face contorted. "I do not like leeches, that I do not. Besides, if you're not at least a little sure of whether or not it will work, then we should not bother with it at all."

Nodding, Megumi stood, "Of course Kenshin. I understand. I'll take my leave then and head to over to the clinic for a while to do some more research. Some time later this week I'll come back and check on you again."

Atara beamed at her. "Don't worry, I'll come around during the day to check on Ken-san myself!" She leaned forward, pressing a small kiss on her cheek. "I have to go back to the brothel, Ken-san. See you tomorrow!"

Atara jumped to her feet, following the departing Megumi. Passing Kaoru, she bowed low and with thanks for the hospitality, left. Megumi and Kaoru stood just outside of Kenshin's room in another fierce showdown of the will to kill. Finally, Megumi sighed, glancing towards the darkened sky.

"I would suggest having Atara stay over more often." She said, watching as the young girl scampered around the dojo gate, "She seems to calm Kenshin down and allows him to relax even more than you do. Such relaxation will help him adjust better to his situation."

Kaoru nodded absently, clearly surprised by the discontinuation of their earlier fight. "She does have that special touch…but I'm running out of rooms for her to stay in…"

"I suppose that she can stay with me until that lazy oaf, Sanouske, moves out for good." The doctor replied with a soft puff of air. "I swear, if I were you I would have kicked him out long ago."

"But we need him now." Kaoru argued quickly, "With Kenshin injured like this and Toorima still out there and alive, we need his protection."

"Have you alerted the police?"

Kaoru shook her head. "They won't do anything. Everyone's scared of him, and have every right to be. What kind of man can wipe out an entire unit of bodyguards without alerting anyone to his presence?"

Megumi smiled, walking past Kaoru and towards the exit. "We've met quite a few who are capable of such things, Kaoru. And we've beaten all of them"

The young sword master turned, her eyes hard. "Are you saying that we don't need to be cautious?"

Megumi paused halfway to the large doors, her head bowed. "No. Because we _haven't_ beaten Toorima, there is something that sets him apart. And that makes him very dangerous. Please be careful Kaoru."

Kaoru gave Megumi a soft smile of confidence. "Aren't I always?"

"No, and that's the problem." Megumi put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Stay by Kenshin's side whenever you can. Atara-san does have a good influence on him, but I'm sure he'd rather know what your close too. I'm telling you this as a friend, not a doctor." Megumi started to go off, but paused, giving Kaoru a once over. "And for all things sacred, clean yourself up. I'm sure that Kenshin would rather see gold than rags when he wakes up."

Kaoru felt the anger flame up again, her jaw clenching. "Then I'll remember to keep _you_ out of sight."

Megumi merely smirked at the comment before turning and whisking down the stairs and out the dojo gates. Kaoru's murderous glare evaporated as soon as the doctor left replaced by a light grin. Although it could be awkward at times, Megumi always knew how to brighten her day…even if it was at her own expense.

"Kaoru!" Yahiko's voice caused her to turn. The young swordfighter stood in front of Kenshin's room, his eyes glancing from the shoji door to her face. "How is he? Did Megumi say if he was getting better? Who the hell was that girl? Can I go in and see Kenshin now?"

Kaoru shook her head as she threw up her arms in exasperation. "Yahiko-kun, you tire _me_ out. Stop whining over Kenshin and go to bed. It's late and he needs to sleep."

Yahiko glowered, crossing his arms in front of his chest and glaring at the deck. "He's _always_ sleeping Kaoru. I still haven't had a chance to talk to him because you keep kicking me out! Stop it!"

Kaoru fully turned, her hands on her hips as she strode towards him. "I kick both you _and_ Sano out because the two of you are trouble makers and Kenshin doesn't need that. I swear, if you were any more annoying, I'd think you _were_ Sano! Now go to bed!"

Yahiko withered slightly under her hard gaze. Kicking at an invisible piece of dust, he snorted with a tight shrug. "Fine, whatever. But tomorrow I'm going to see Kenshin and there's no way you can stop me!"

He dashed down the deck and into his room before Kaoru could come up with a quick retort. With a victorious laugh, he snapped his shoji door shut. Sano rounded the corner a moment later, a tray of dumplings in one hand and a stick in the other, casting a confused gaze at Yahiko's room before sending the same one towards her.

"I find it interesting that you're able to drive people away from you so easily."

Kaoru sighed with a slight tilt of her head. "Is there some reason why you still grace my home with your presence?"

Sano skewered another dumpling and popped it into his mouth. "I don't need a reason. People just like me."

"Not when you eat all their food."

"Ha!" Sano devoured another delicious bite, "Now that is something I can't argue with. I lose so many friends like that…" He seemed lost in thought for a moment as he stared towards the dark, starry sky, before he shook his head and focused back on her. "Besides, I'm Zanza, the biggest bad ass to walk the streets of Tokyo. You couldn't ask for a better bodyguard. And even better," he ate another dumpling, pointing the stick at her and chewing as he spoke, "I'm here for _free_."

Kaoru watched as the juices and crumbs landed on her clean deck. "Perhaps in paid tender, but you can certainly eat your charge."

"Feed a man and he'll love you forever."

Kaoru smiled, walking over and enveloping a shocked Sano in a hug. "You really do help here Sano. I mean it."

Blushing, Sano stared down at the top of her head, taking note of her shaking body. "What brought this on? Weren't you just yelling at me?" He stepped back from her embrace, balancing an empty tray in one had as he ducked to see her face. Tears were forming in the corner of her eyes. "Whoa now, no tears little missy. You're supposed to be the woman I'm scared of, remember?"

Kaoru let out a wet laugh, scrubbing at her eyes. "I thought that was Megumi-san."

"Nope." Sano shook his head, straightening with a sly wink. "But that kitsune certainly comes in a very close second. Anyways, what's with the water works?"

Kaoru drew in a deep, breath, her eyes still moist. "It's Kenshin…I just feel so-so privileged!"

"Privileged?" Sano shook his head, "How in the world could you feel _privileged_? You, Kaoru, are currently being hunted down by the most ruthless killer Japan has ever seen since our friend here. What's more, you've pissed him off by injuring him, _and_ the police and government are too scared to offer any help to you. To be perfectly honest, if I weren't your friend I would have gotten the hell away from you a long time ago." He laughed, obviously pleased with himself.

Kaoru lowered her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. "At least I can see the danger coming. Kenshin is helpless."

That stopped the laughter. Sano's smile quickly turned hard, his eyes narrowing as he looked towards Kenshin's room. "Don't you ever say that again, Kaoru. Do you understand me? Kenshin is not, and never will be, helpless. Yes, we are here protecting him, and yes, he is blind, but Kenshin is even stronger now. A lesser man would have given up by now, but Kenshin is still supporting us."

Kaoru shook her head. "Supporting us?"

"Yea," Sano wrapped an arm about her shoulders. "Have Kenshin said one depressing thing to in all this time? Has he begged for sympathy or aid?"

"No."

"Has he tried to do things for himself, despite what we say?"

"He asked if I wanted help with the laundry today. I told him he needed to rest."

Sano chuckled. "That's because Kenshin is far from helpless and he knows it. He's giving you encouragement to continue on with your life while he recovers. He forbade you from pursuing Toorima, protecting you even though he's blind. Offering to do the _laundry_? Does that sound like a helpless guy to you?"

Kaoru gave an embarrassed half smile. "No, not really…"

"Good, then it's settled. Kenshin's not helpless and you never say he is." Sano's head jerked in a firm nod. "And seeing as the water gates aren't going to open up, I think I'll turn in for the night."

The hand on his arm stopped Sano's retreat. Glancing sideways at Kaoru, he waited expectantly. The sword master sighed, finally looking up at Sano after what seemed like years of silence. "Do I…do I really scare you, Sanouske?"

Chuckling, the massive man bent down until they were eye to eye. "Only when you're mad at me. Any other time, it's really funny to watch…you kind of look like a bloated chipmunk."

He tore down the walkway with an incensed Kaoru on his heels.

* * *

Gortu sat in his black carriage, watching the lit buildings of Tokyo pass by as he rode towards his home within the political district of the growing city. Situated near the outskirts of the district, his home was a constant haven of criminals, yakuza members, and prostitutes, some of which he had enjoyed. He was unfortunate that with so many of societies outcasts doing business just outside his gates, the police took the liberty of patrolling the area, making his own business activities that much more harder to perform.

The carriage slowed as they approached the gates to his two-story mansion, the driver carefully leading the pair of horses through the throng of people outside. Gortu tried to ignore the shouts of the slime that surrounded his carriage, the scantly dressed women of the brothels tapping the sides of his door, offering their services. It'd been so long since he'd been with a woman of any kind, and his masculine needs were beginning to surface at the sight of barely covered breasts and full lips. As they entered the gates, Gortu leaned from the window and called the driver to stop. The sentries at the entry closed the gates before approaching.

"I am in need of some company tonight," Gortu said to the sentry below, "Make sure that she makes her way up to my room."

The sentry gave him a greasy smile. "Of course, my lord. How many would you like me to let in?"

Gortu paused to think. "I suppose a few will be fine…just be sure that they are full and fresh for me. I don't want any used baggage, understand?"

"Yes, my lord. I shall send them immediately."

"Put them in my room until I'll ready to have them." Gortu nodded that the driver and the man flicked the reins, the carriage lurching forward. It clattered the short distance to the circular drive in front of his massive, inherited estate. The doorman scampered down the steps to open his master's door, bowing low as Gortu stepped down.

"Welcome home, Gortu-sama." The doorman closed the carriage down and rushed up the stairs so his master wouldn't have to wait for the door to be opened for him. Once inside, the doorman reached for Gortu's coat. "May I take your things, my lord?"

Without acknowledging the man, Gortu shrugged out of his coat, handing the folders in his hands to the doorman. "Put these in my office. I am expecting guests, so be sure to see them up to my room. I expect not to be disturbed for any reason."

The doorman nodded. "Of course, I shall pass the word to the other servants, my lord. May I also announce that you have a dinner guest waiting for you? A Tusume-sama."

_Tusume?_ Gortu blinked, never before had the man come to his home. Waving a dismissive hand, Gortu quickly made his way to the dinning hall. Two attendants threw the double doors wide, allowing Gortu access to the expansive dinning room. A bright chandelier hung from the slightly vaulted roof, a long table running down the center of the room, draped with a spotless white cloth and surrounded by luscious pillows on which his guests sat. At the head of the table furthest from him sat Tusume, a young servant girl topping his cup with what looked like red wine and before Tusume was a plate steaming meat and vegetables. The man leaned towards the girl as she bent over his cup, a hand trailing up her leg, exposing the creamy, white skin where the dress hiked. The girl giggled softly at whatever he was saying. Gortu bristled slightly at the sight.

"What the hell are you doing?"

The girl looked up in surprise, her eyes wide as she jerked away. "M-My lord!"

Gortu glare was not directed at her, but at Tusume. "Get out of my sight, woman, before I have you flogged for contempt to your master."

The girl bowed low, scampering away through a side door. Gortu walked the length of the table, taking a seat nest to Tusume. His eyes lingered on the untouched meal before his uninvited guest.

"Please, my friend. You've already taken my place so don't hesitate to take my food as well."

Tusume quirked an eyebrow. "You know, for a man whose very career is riding on my shoulders, I think that you should extend a little respect to me."

Gortu snorted, then shouted over his shoulder. "Drink!" As the servant girl came in again, he addressed Tusume. "I haven't ordered my guards to kill you, yet. I believe you can't get any more respectful than that." He snatched the girl's wrist, forcefully pulling her down. Removing the flask from her hands, Gortu began to caress the shivering girl's neck. "I couldn't help but notice that you were enjoying the attention of my servant. Would like to take her? As a 'respectful' gesture to you, of course."

Tusume's gaze hardened. "It is not respectful when you toss your leftovers to me. No, send her away so that she might have a restful night for once."

"There's more than one girl that works for me, Tusume-san. And I can have any of them at any time. She is not a spoiled as you think."

Tusume shook his head, picking up the fork and knife. "Send her away. Gods, how can you eat with these Western utensils? Give me a pair of chopsticks any day."

Gortu released the girl, his attention now on Tusume. "Try to become more cultured, will you? And why are you here, Tusume…never before have you darkened my home so why now?"

"I hate these things…" Tusume lifted a meat filled fork to his mouth, savoring the flavor. "Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful…pass my regards to your cook, will you?"

Gortu growled at him. "Answer the damned question! Has something gone wrong?"

Tusume lifted a steaming vegetable to his mouth. "There is always something going wrong in the world, Gortu-sensei."

"I mean with our plans you greedy idiot!" Gortu's eyes narrowed as Tusume continued to feed himself, ignoring him. "I'm going to assume that there is, seeing as how I've not heard word that Battousai is dead."

"I can't imagine _anything_ being held from you in such a prestigious position you've managed to acquire within the government. Tell me, do you receive any top secret plans in your department?"

Gortu refused to rise to the bait. "Why is he still alive, Tusume? You assured me he'd be dead by now! The longer Battousai lives, the more our risk of discovery increases, do you understand that?" Angrily, he lashed out, knocking the rising fork from Tusume's hands, sending it clattering to the table. "Damn you, answer my questions! Why is Battousai _alive_?"

Tusume leveled a heated glare at him. "Battousai is alive because he can never be killed. Like the fool you are, you sent us against a legend without any proper time to prepare. Toorima had to find out on his own how powerful these friends of his were, and because of that, we've been set back more than we can afford. Your blundering is the cause of this delay so do not blame me, or my associate."

"Your associate has had more than enough chances to kill the Battousai. Three times, as you tell me." Gortu leaned closer, his eyes blazing. "Is that more of _my_ blundering, Tusume?"

Tusume smirked, "As far as I'm concerned, this entire plan is an absolute blunder. The Battousai will live, Toorima will be killed, and you will be arrested." Tusume's smirked grew. "As for me, by the time of your arrest, I will be in China, enjoying my payment on fine women, food, and luxury, reading of the fall of both you and your family's name."

Gortu shook with pent up fury. "You cowardly bastard…how dare you pull out now! You'll not get anything from me you---" Gortu's breath caught in his throat as the knife blade was suddenly mere centimeters from his wide eyes.

"I never said I was pulling out. I'm merely foreseeing the future." Tusume's eyes narrowed. "And if you have the gall to refuse me my due pay, I will carve your face, popping out each one of your eyes, cutting off your ears, and ripping out your tongue. Then, I will leave you at the mercy of your mistreated slaves. Do I make myself clear?"

Tusume dropped the blade down to his plate, cutting another section of meat. "I've never failed in a mission before. If the Battousai doesn't die, I'll make sure that he wishes he did. Now go have your whores and let me eat in peace." He stuffed the meat into his mouth, glaring straight ahead.

Gortu stood on shaky legs, bowing and rushing from the room. Tusume waited for the doors to close before lifting his empty cup. Suddenly, the offer of that girl seemed too good to pass up. "Drink!"

* * *

_Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to one and all! It's been just over a year since I began this fanfic, a long time I know, so I thank each and every person whose stuck with until now! Wildfire Sky wishing all a wonderful Christmas Break and hoping that you all get plenty of presents and not too many corny sweaters from Grandma. Remember to R&R!_


	12. Chapter Twelve

_**The Guardian **_

_**By: Wildfire Sky**_

_Another chapter for all you "Guardian" fans out there. Thanks for enjoying it and yes; Toorima is about to come back into the spotlight. Just be patient and watch for it. This chapter focuses closely on Toorima's past. Let's welcome in the New Year! 2006 here we come!_

**_The Guardian_**

**_Chapter Twelve

* * *

_**

Breathing deeply, Toorima nervously waited in the black of his dwelling for the return of the one who made him what he was. So much was owed to his master; Toorima could barely comprehend the magnitude of it all. Trembling slightly from anxiousness, Toorima clutched the single piece of parchment in his hands, a hint of a smile on his features. Akoshin-sama had sent the letter only last night, some how managing to slip in and place it on the small table in the cavern where Toorima slept. When he had awoken, his eyes were immediately drawn to the folded slip of paper with his name neatly scrawled across the front in smooth calligraphy. The sight of it had sent a small twinge down his spine and he shakily stood, limping over to retrieve it and read it. Now, he sat in waiting…waiting as patiently as a dog waits for his master.

Then there was movement, the tattered cloth over the opening of the cavern rippled slightly from some movement behind it. Holding his breath, Toorima quickly came to his knees, his hands neatly folded in his lap, eyes riveted on the entry as the cloth was pulled back and a figure entered. Before giving himself time to really look, Toorima pressed his face to the ground humbly, greeting Akoshin in a loud clear voice.

"Welcome, master, to my home. I am honored that you've traveled to be in my undeserving presence."

There was no immediate response; instead, a cough was heard, echoing off the blank cavern walls. The figured shuffled forward, the sound of scrapping and a sigh as Akoshin sat himself in the single chair. "You've grown strong, Hikaru…very strong indeed."

Toorima stiffened at the sound of Akoshin's voice. It sounded different…weak and unsure. So unlike the Akoshin he knew. Why…?

"You are distressed. For what reason, I'm sure I can guess." Akoshin coughed again. "So many years have passed since you were taken from my care and sent off to kill. So many years since you met Tomoe-san and learned of her tragic fate as I did…" he pulled in a ragged breath. "Look at me, Hikaru."

Toorima slowly lifted his head, scared to see what his mind was telling him. When his eyes fell upon the face of his old master, only his excellent training prevented him from physically reeling back in horror. The once smooth, hardened figure of the warrior turned mentor that Toorima had come to know and love, had been replaced with an ugly, hacking form of an old man. His back bent slightly, his clothing hanging off him in loose rags; Toorima would have been convinced that a stranger had entered his home, rather than that of his master. Akoshin coughed again, uncaring of the spittle that dribbled from his lip on onto the floor. Only after a moment did he reach up and wipe it away.

"Yes…I've grown old, Hikaru…or is it Toorima now?" Akoshin smiled, his teeth the only thing that seemed not to have changed. "Unfortunately, I was unable to join my warrior brothers in death on the battlefield…and now, I will not have the fitting death of a samurai, but that of a poor, lonely man."

Toorima blinked, coming to his feet and walking over to where Akoshin sat before kneeling again. He took the old man's hand in his, letting his fingers run on the leathery skin, slicked with oil and perspiration. A distinct smell wafted from his body, threatening to clog his nostrils. He'd had not bathed in what seemed like weeks. Never had Akoshin gone more than a few days without a clean scrubbing, and that was only when the army was on the march. He could feel the bones beneath the skin, the discoloration signs of malnutrition or drug use…neither of which characterized of his master. Something had gone terribly wrong in the old one's life.

Toorima looked up into his dull eyes with a tight frown. "Where is Akara-chan? Why has she allowed you to diminish into this state?"

Akoshin's eyes took in a distant, pained look, staring at some point over Toorima's shoulder. Had Toorima not known him better, it would have seemed that Akoshin was threatening to cry. The old man drew in a shaky breath, his voice hitched. "My dearest Akara…she passed long ago, a few months after you left."

Toorima was shocked. Akara was so youthful and happy; it wasn't possible for her to die naturally. "How?"

"There was a surprise attack on the convoy she was with," Akoshin said, his eyes still not focusing on Toorima's face. "I would be lying if I said she died quickly." Akoshin brought up his finger and thumb to massage the bridge of his nose. "But enough of my painful past. I've come here to see you, haven't I?"

Toorima frowned at him. "You seem tired, sensei…would you like to rest?" He couldn't have his master staying up.

Akoshin pulled out a shiny, silver pocket watch. "It is late now isn't it? Tell me, Hikaru, does the disease still plague you?"

"I will never be able to return to the day, sensei. God has forsaken me to say in the dark forever…"

"So you're skin boils whenever the sunlight touches it?" Akoshin frowned, "Pity there is no cure for that…"

Toorima shrugged. "It doesn't matter anymore. I've grown to like the night and darkness. I find way to escape the sunlight and travel during the day."

"Is that what this heavy cloak is for?"

Toorima shifted, the long cloak bunching around his booted feet. "Indeed. Ah! Gomen! I didn't even offer you any tea or sake." Toorima quickly rose from his squatted position, hurrying over to his shelving and glancing at the contents there. "I have a cordial of sake, if you are interested, Akoshin-sensei."

"That's fine."

Toorima forced himself not to turn and look at his old master. Ever since he'd seen the old man's face there was a growing fear that at any moment, his master would suddenly die before him and he'd be powerless to stop it. As he placed the cup of sake before Akoshin, his mind began to wander back to old times…times after he'd been cured.

* * *

_Balancing on one foot atop a thin stake, Hikaru clumsily tried to block the wooden pegs that swung towards him from where the hung on the tree. It was a difficult practice, every time he hit one block of wood, another seemed to appear out of nowhere, connecting with his head, causing him to lose his balance and wave his arms wildly to keep from falling in the deep mud. Already, his gi was covered in the thick sludge, evidence of his earlier failures. To one side stood Akoshin and Akara, the latter had a mischievous smile on her face while her father's was stern._

_"You must concentrate, boy! How do you expect to learn ninjitsu if you are constantly in the mud?"_

_Hikaru struck out again, but this time, the peg flew back at him, knocking him from his feet as it connected with his right eye. With a cry of mixed pain and surprise, Hikaru tumbled from the stakes and into the mud with a splash. The other warriors watching roared with laughter as he emerged, hacking and coughing up mud. Wiping the grime from his eyes, he looked over at Akoshin. The older man was shaking his head, his wavy brown hair moving with him. As he looked up, his startling blue eyes glared. Next to him, Akara had a hand over her mouth, her own blue-gray eyes twinkling with laughter. She was a beautiful woman with a vibrant, independent personality, and though many men sought her hand in marriage, Akoshin would always consult her and ask her wishes…and they never changed. She was destined to remain at her father's side, and swore to that, but Hikaru sensed a deeper meaning in it. There was more to her story that she or her father let on._

_"Hikaru!" Akoshin snapped, drawing the attention of his apprentice, "I expect to see you riding into battle with a flag bearing my family crest on it…and I'll be damned if I let you make a fool out of that name on the battlefield."_

_Hikaru picked himself up, trudging over to Akoshin and collapsed to his knees. "I just can't do it, sensei…the wooden blocks…"_

_"Are only the beginning." Akoshin interrupted, his eyes hard. He leaned closer to him, his voice dropping. "I will teach you not only to block then, but to shatter hundreds of them into pieces with a single swipe of your sword. I'll teach you the secret ways of the ninja and the honor of a samurai. When I'm done training you, the shogun himself will come seeking your services in this war, as both a fighter on the battlefield and as an assassin in the dark." Akoshin straightened, his voice returning to normal. "But in order for me to do such a thing, you need to get up and try harder! Stop trying to look for the blocks with your eyes."_

_Akara stepped forward, a strip of cloth in her hands. "Turn around, Hikaru-kun. We are going to practice some more using this."_

_The moment the blindfold fell over his eyes, Hikaru felt instantly more comfortable. After spending nearly two months walking and training blind, the darkness seemed so much more inviting that the day. Akara had trained his ears to hear like a bat, sensing the closeness of objects and people. He'd proven himself on more than one occasion while learning martial arts skills with Akara, taking down teasing samurai and foot soldiers that were looking for nothing more than picking a fight with a blind boy. Most had been beaten down, walking away with shame filled faces. He felt as though he do anything while blind._

_Turning on his heel, he walked quickly over to the stakes, humming softly to himself in order to sense where the stakes where. Climbing on to the stakes again, Hikaru readied himself and struck. The pegs began to whirl around him and his sword flew, connecting with most while he ducked under the others. All the while he mumbled to himself, listening to the echoes that returned. Although he couldn't see, Akoshin had a thin smile on his face. He was proud._

_Akara smiled as well, turning to her father. "It will be sad to see him go with Tomoe next week…but they seemed to like each other when she came by to visit her husband."_

_"Tomoe is a good woman…but I fear that he will not be seeing much of her any more." Akoshin's face darkened. "Tomoe's husband was murdered."_

_"What?" Akara blinked. "When? By who?"_

_Akoshin never took his eyes off of Hikaru. "Not three night ago. By the one they call Battousai. He was on escort duty when the hitokiri cut them down without mercy. Now, he's still wandering the streets of Tokyo, the bastard."_

_"Does Hikaru-kun know?"_

_"He needs to concentrate on his training right now. When the time comes, I will tell him."_

_Akara turned back to watch Hikaru practice. "And how is Tomoe taking it."_

_"How do you think?" Akoshin stepped forward as a wooden peg rammed into Hikaru's back. "Use the brains your father gave you, Hikaru! Damn it, boy, stop anticipating the hits, let it flow naturally. Does a snake hesitate? No, he strikes out without thought or warning!"_

_Hikaru lashed out with his boken again, knocking aside the peg as he spun around on one foot to hit the returning ones. Akoshin nodded in approval. "Good. Good. That's enough for now, let's get some food."_

_Hikaru whipped off his blindfold with a silly grin. "Hai! Arigato, sen--" Suddenly his world exploded in a bright flash of white before collapsing into darkness. He felt his body fall forward, pain lancing from his face, and then nothing.

* * *

_

_When he awoke the next day, he felt a growing fear that he'd become blind again. For a moment he lay on his futon, struggling to see, but for some reason, his eyes would respond. As the panic started to rise in his chest, Hikaru's breathing increased rapidly, sweat dripping from his face in rivulets._

_"Easy, boy, easy…" came the hard voice of his master, "Stop all that fighting now, you're not a silly woman are you?"_

_Hikaru froze, his head moving from side to side slowly. "Akoshin-sensei?"_

_"Aa…that's it…nice and easy." A pair of rough, calloused hands settled on his forehead, "The doctor doesn't want that bandage to come off just yet. We need to keep the opening sterile."_

_Hikaru felt the panic rising again with tremendous force. "Opening? Sensei…what happened?"_

_There was a long pause and for a moment, Hikaru thought his master had left. He reached out blindly, his fingers searching until they connected with fabric. Taking a small ball of cloth in his hand, Hikaru asked the question again. Akoshin's hand came down, brushing the boy's from his gi._

_"The wooden peg came back…" he took a deep breath. "And hit you directly across your left eye."_

_Hikaru took in a deep hiss of air. "And? How is my eye?"_

_"I'll tell you when I find it." Akoshin stood up, his clothing rustling. "Understand, Hikaru, your deformity will not hinder your training. You will continue and learn to use this handicap as an advantage, am I clear?"_

_"H-Hai…"_

_Akoshin turned, looking down at the young boy's shaking form. Even from beneath the medicine cloth, he could see the tiny streams of tears falling from his one remaining eye. How could he tell him the extent of the damage that one peg had done? When the boy fell, he slipped from the stakes he was on. Not only did that stake rip out what remained of the pulpy mess that was once his eye, it had torn off half of his face. The blood vessels in the right eye had exploded from the impact, filling the right eye with blood and leaving it a deep, crimson red. The boy had mutated into a hideous man in a matter of seconds._

_And to make things worse, he made the boy cry._

_"Otoosan!"_

_Akoshin turned to look at Akara, who'd just entered the tent, glancing between him and the boy. She frowned tightly, nodding behind her. "The doctor says that it is alright to remove the bandage. He'll be here in a moment to examine and redress the wound."_

_Akoshin nodded. "Did he give any mention of when I can begin the boy's training again?"_

_For a moment, Akara's eyes narrowed dangerously before she shook her head in exasperation. "No, otoosan, he did not."_

_Nodding, Akoshin motioned with his hand towards Hikaru's form. "Take care of the wound and get him what he needs. I must go and speak with the General. He's asked to be informed of Hikaru's condition."_

_"The General's obsession with Hikaru is unhealthy." Akara leaned towards her father. "Did you see how he was watching up the hill while we were training with the pegs? He always seems to be near whenever Hikaru is training for something or another."_

_"I don't care for the General's obsessions." Akoshin snapped with a glare. "And you should not worry about them either. The General has made an investment in this young boy by letting him live. It's in his best interest to see the child succeed so he can be of use against the rebels." Brushing past, Akoshin whispered to her: "I hate to make you take the role of a woman, but at this time it is necessary. Stay by his side and do not leave until you're given permission. The men grow nervous with your freedom and since most see you as Hikaru's sister, it is time you act like it. Do this for both of us."_

_Akara glared down at the ground and forced out. "I will…otoosan."_

_She knelt down next to him, tenderly removing the bandage from his face, all the while cooing soothing words of encouragement to calm and distract him. Even as the cloth was removed Hikaru winced from the dried blood pulling at his tattered skin. He slowly opened his one eye, instantly aware of the disproportion in his sight. Akara could only sit back and watch as his fingers traced over the contours of his face, his expression seeping into one of shock and dismay. He pulled his fingers back from his eye, staring in horror at the clear puss hanging from the tips. A tiny quiver formed in his bottom lip and Akara was sure he was going to cry, but instead he quickly bit it, closing his red eye to get himself under control._

_"Does it look that bad, Akara-san?" he whispered, opening his eye to look at her directly. She knew what was going through his head…thoughts of self-pity and anguish. He wanted her to tell him that he was ugly, because subconsciously, it was the thing he needed to hear. Instant, she leaned towards him and pressed to lips to his battered face._

_"Not matter what you look like outside," she whispered against his skin, "You're handsome inside. Remember that, little brother…"_

_Akara felt the wet tears slipping down his face and pooling where they touched cheek to cheek. His hands slowly came up and wrapped around her small but muscular frame. As a ninja, she had also trained with her father since birth, building the strength and cunning that had aided her in so many missions._

_"Am I really your little brother?" he mumbled, his voice thick from tears. "I've never…never been called…"_

_Akara hushed his with another kiss, nuzzling the side of his face affectionately. "Always. No matter what happens…even if we're separated in life or death, you'll be my little brother for all eternity." She disentangled herself from his grasp. "Now, let's take care of these wounds and get ready for the doctor."_

_Hikaru glared at her through his one eye. "I hate doctors…"

* * *

_

_A content Akoshin sat in the warming sun, his eyes lazily yet carefully watching the movements of his apprentice. The boy's movements were still unsure and jerky, even with his daughter nearby to assist, and occasionally he would pause and rub at the patch over his left eye. The doctor had declared the boy finally fit to continue his training, albeit with much more care on Akoshin's part now that improvements had been made. Hikaru paused in his exercises again, lifting up a hand to rub at the glass eye that now replaced his missing one._

_When the doctor mentioned the glass eye, Hikaru had almost instantly declined stating it would bring more attention to his weakness than before. That is, until Akoshin made it seem worthwhile. He told Hikaru that with their technology, he could choose a color that would aid him, a dark color that would not reflect in the light. It had taken nearly a full hour before Hikaru complied with his master's wishes and accepted a pure black glass eye. The doctor said it had a base of onyx, which was what gave the color and the strength. By many standards, it was indestructible…not even fire could destroy it. But it had to be carefully maintained, cleaned every night and checked for damages every two months. An expensive and laborious task._

_"Come on, Hikaru, hit me!" Akara teased as she neatly dodged Hikaru's punch with a laugh. "You'd better hope the gods are watching over you if you ever get into a fist fight, Hikaru-chan!"_

_Akoshin glowered. He'd learned about Akara's unofficial adoption of Hikaru into their unique family. He had warned her in the beginning not to become too attached to the boy for eventually he would leave or die. But, it was inevitable. Almost from the movement they met, the two were destined to become the closest of friends and develop such a relationship that has formed. Now, he was hesitant to go to the General and make it official. There were marching towards Tokyo and would be there by tomorrow, indeed he would see the tops of the massive castles and temples in the distance. If he wanted, they could travel ahead of the army and allow Hikaru to settle in before continuing his training._

_Akoshin never moved at the sounds of soft footsteps coming up behind him. He merely nodded his head in signal that he was listening._

_"Akoshin-sama, there is a visitor for you in you tent."_

_The old warrior sighed. "Who is it this time?"_

_"A young woman, Akoshin-sama. She calls herself Tomoe…"_

_Akoshin stiffened, and turned this time towards the bowing messenger. "She has come from Tokyo then? Why?"_

_The messenger kept his eyes downcast as he shook his head. "Forgive me, sir, but I do not know. She waits for you and your family."_

_Akoshin nodded, waving a dismissive hand. "Arigatou." He stepped towards the fighting pair. "Hikaru! Akara! We have a visitor."_

_Hikaru turned as Akoshin approached and threw an unexpected punch. Akoshin blocked the punch, then grabbed the boy's arm and tripped him, causing Hikaru to fall to the ground in a messy heap. Groaning, Hikaru glared up at the two standing above him, his back aching from the hard fall. Akoshin had something close to a smile as he put his hands on his hips._

_"You'll always be too slow, Hikaru, if you hesitate like you did. In your mind, imagine that the punch had already connected, and your body will respond accordingly." He held out a hand, helping Hikaru to his feet. "You see, the body is nothing without the mind. All of your movements and emotions are based from there. If your mind says that something is, your body will make it so. Therefore, you must always care for your mind."_

_Akara looked from Hikaru to her father. "Otoosan…you said there was someone here to see us?"_

_"Aa." He looked directly in her eyes. "It seems that Tomoe-san was kind enough to grace us with her presence on this warm evening."_

_Hikaru was ecstatic and missed the worried look that crossed Akara's face as he leapt to his feet, the pain long forgotten. Tomoe-san was here! Just like she promised all those years ago, she was here to give him a good life. When they'd first met many months ago, she was stunningly beautiful, her soft face carefully done up and hair neatly combed. When she stood next to her proud husband, her hand on his arm, they looked like something out of a painter's finest work. He'd instantly fallen in love with her; despite knowing he would never have her. And now, after missing Tomoe for so long, he was given the opportunity to see her again._

_Akara and Akoshin watched as Hikaru quickly dashed towards the streambed, intent of rinsing the sweat from his face and making himself more presentable._

_"Otoosan…" Akara whispered, turning to look at him. "Should we…?"_

_Akoshin shook his head sternly. "Let him enjoy her presence for now. If she wants him to know, she will tell him."_

_Akara lowered her eyes and turned away. "I'll go keep her company."_

_"Akara!"_

_She stopped but didn't turn._

_"Not matter what happens…he will complete his training."_

_Akara let out a dry chuckle. "Aa…that's exactly what you said when mother died."_

_There was no response.

* * *

_

Toorima sighed. That was the day Tomoe gave him is precious mirror. A symbol that he was still human, no matter what he might look like. And then…he found out many months later, after completing his training, that Tomoe was dead…killed by love.

The assassin looked over at the now sleeping Akoshin. So many things had changed…he was still young but no longer innocent. Still courageous, but more of a fool. He never should have run away to avenge her death…he never should have left Akara's side. Perhaps if he hadn't, she'd still be alive and they could both care for their ailing father together as brother and sister should. He knelt next to Akoshin, gently brushing back the gray strands of hair that feel over his face, much like Akara had done for him, watching over him as he slept.

He remember her singing to him should he fall sick. Years in the care of the two of them and he been a loving young boy. A few months on his own and he turned into a murdering criminal racked by disease. He was wrong…he was a fool.

"I want to end it…" he whispered to himself, continuing to watch Akoshin's chest rise and fall in sleep. "I was wrong to start it and now it's time for me to end it."

He moved, leaning against the wall and staring at the sakabatou opposite him. He'd pursued the Battousai for his own greedy ambitions, never recognizing the truth in what he was doing. He was trying to take from another what he'd given up…love and a family. He'd been taking it from others for years. But no more. He had to set things right…

"Hikaru…"

Toorima looked down, smiling at the sound of his name. "Hai?"

Akoshin stared up at him, his eyes half closed. "Fetch an old man some water, will you?"

"Hai."

As he stood, Akoshin reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his cloak. When Toorima looked down at him, that old familiar light had returned to his eyes. The light of wisdom, power, and loyalty to his family.

"I know you will do what is right…son."

Toorima's heart seized within his chest. That was the first time…the first time Akoshin had ever called him son. He found himself outside moments later, staring into the large pail of rainwater, a full cup in his hand. He would do what was right. Setting the cup down on top of the pail, he removed his cloak and glared at it before viciously tossing it aside.

He remembered the last conversation he ever had with Akara. It was just before he'd left and she met him further down the road that night, away from the camp. Before he could say anything, she'd wrapped him in a tight hug, her lips against his ear.

_"I will always believe in you, Hikaru-chan…no matter what path you take from here, I know you will do what is right."_

It was like she knew what was going to happen. Well, now he would follow her advice. He walked in, smiling like he had all those years ago, Akara's beautiful face in his mind as he gave Akoshin his water and settled back to sleep. That night he dreamed, there were no nightmares…no pain. He slept like his younger child self had and he enjoyed it.

That night the one known as Toorima began to disappear, and in his place was Hikaru. And throughout the night and into the next day, Hikaru remembered what life was really about.

Love and family.

* * *

_Say something…go ahead and say something about the extreme lack of Kenshin and Kaoru. I said it before and I'll say it again. You have to develop your characters or else you don't have a story…you have an imagineless thing. You can have an amazing writing style and a wonderful plotline, but if you don't give your characters personality and history, you might as well call him blobs on paper. I don't roll like that and you will never see anything less from me. As an author, that is my promise to you, the reader. The best for the best._

_Please remember to R&R!_


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